More than a Team
by GoldenJay98
Summary: The Autobots have a new arrival on the way...or more than one. Knock Out's been kicked out of the 'Cons; Ratchet's been getting dizzy and nauseous recently. The next few months will push the Autobots to their limits. But they're more than just a team - they're a family. Gender-swap of certain characters. Humanized.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers**

 **Okay, it says genderswap-ish because only a few characters are genderswapped. This takes place in the** _ **Prime**_ **and** _ **RiD (2015)**_ **continuation.**

 **Thanks for all the reviews and favorites on my previous story. You inspired me to go ahead and start posting this. I'm glad I managed to make you all laugh. This story is more serious, focusing more on the determination and love of the Autobots and various Decepticons.**

 **Enjoy**

Jack smiled at Arcee as she set down next to him. She was breathing hard from her mock battle with Wheeljack. While Transformers had the ability to appear as any species, hence the name they had been dubbed, they tended to stay human as much as possible as that was the easiest species from them to maintain as it was practically their natural form.

Arcee was dressed in dark blue flannel shirt that was unbuttoned to expose her gray undershirt. She was wearing skinny jeans and a pair of dark blue running shoes. Her golden knives were in her hands as she had yet to put them back on her black belt. As guns were not allowed in practice fights at the base, her handguns were still on her belt. Her black hair was tied up in a ponytail with a gold string.

"So, you lost?" he asked.

Arcee glared at him. At this range, he could see the purple ring in her blue irises. "On purpose. Wheeljack is no match for me."

"Sure, sure," Jack said with a smile. He laughed when Arcee gave him a shove. The sixteen year old turned his attention to the other occupants of the room.

Wheeljack had retreated to the other side of the room. She was wearing a white tank top and black pants. She had on green bracelets and black tennis shoes. Her brown hair had a red tint and was curly and unruly, reaching down to her shoulder blades. A grenade was clipped to her waist and her two swords were on her back.

Standing next to her was her teenage son, Smokescreen. Smokescreen had brown hair cut in a messy style. He was wearing jeans, blue tennis shoes, a blue shirt and a yellow jacket. His skin was a warm tan color, darker than Wheeljack's own skin tone. He was the same age as Jack, though he had survived many battles firsthand, so Jack sometimes took Smokescreen out into Jasper when it was allowed.

Walking toward Wheeljack and Smokescreen were Bulkhead and his human charge, Miko. Bulkhead was Wheeljack's husband and Smokescreen's father. Bulkhead had warm, chocolate colored skin and his head was shaved. He was wearing a dark green T-shirt that showed off his muscles, jeans, and black combat boots. Miko looked just the same as ever and she gave Jack a thumbs-up from across the room.

The last three Autobots walked into the training room, followed by Fowler and Raf. Optimus Prime, the leader, came in first. He was tall and muscly, though not as bulky as Bulkhead, with black hair and intelligent blue eyes. He wore a red shirt, a blue jacket, jeans, and blue shoes. His gun was strapped to his back and he had a sword were on each hip.

Behind him walked his second in command, Ultra Magnus. Ultra Magnus had dirty blond hair and a stern face. Unlike the other Autobot males, he had a neat and tidy beard. He wore a crisp button-up blue shirt with gold buttons and some gold lines on his sleeves. His jeans weren't frayed and his red and gold running shoes didn't have a single smudge on them. On his back was strapped the largest hammer in the universe, glinting a dull gold in the artificial light of the base. He had a gun that was too large to be handgun but too small to be a regular gun with a short barrel on his left hip.

Behind Optimus and Ultra Magnus came Optimus's wife and the Autobot medic, Ratchet. She had strawberry blonde hair that was ramrod straight and reached just down to her shoulders. Her blue eyes had a green tint. The lenses of her red wire-frame glasses flashed as she looked around. She was dressed in a red blouse with sleeves that went to her elbow and a black skirt that went to her knees. Her outfit was completed with black flats and two silver daggers strapped to her waist.

Fowler stopped just inside the door. He seemed pretty relaxed, which meant that there wasn't any current issue with the Decepticons. Jack smirked when he realized Fowler was eating a donut. Ultra Magnus drifted toward Miko, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Smokescreen, apparently deeming them as the group most likely to start something. Jack had to admit the general had good reason to believe that. Raf ran over to Jack, grinning. He set down, straightening his glasses.

"How'd last night go?" Jack asked.

"I won the spelling bee," he said proudly.

"How'd Ratchet react?" Arcee asked. Ratchet was Raf's guardian.

"She was really happy for me," Raf said.

Jack gave the twelve year old a brotherly punch on the arm. "You're like the only human she could be proud of," he said.

"I don't know about that," Raf responded uncertainly.

Optimus Prime stepped into the center of the practice room, pulling out one of his silver swords. Blue lines in the metal gleamed. He spun the sword around and then took a fighting stance. He looked around, one eyebrow arching slightly in a questioning expression.

"Would anyone like to spar with me?" he asked in his deep rumble.

Jack was startled. He'd never seen Optimus participate in any spars before. Across the room, Ultra Magnus looked just as startled, so he figured it wasn't a common occurrence. Wheeljack and Smokescreen both took a small step back. Neither looked anxious about sparring with their leader.

"I would like to," Ratchet said, stepping forward. She pulled out her daggers.

Arcee made a surprised noise in the back of her throat. Jack thought she was about to jump to her feet, but then she relaxed. Raf looked at Jack, his jaw dropping. Across the room, the others looked just as mesmerized, and Miko was pulling out her phone in case she needed to snap any photos. Fowler looked like he was in danger of dropping his half-eaten donut.

Optimus and Ratchet circled each other, clearly looking for the best opening. Jack used the lessons Arcee had given him to assess the two before the spar officially began. Optimus was only using one sword, while Ratchet had two daggers, but he could reach farther than Ratchet. Ratchet's daggers were better for defense, but she'd have a harder time getting through Optimus's defenses, especially since they were a shorter weapon.

"Just because you're my wife doesn't mean I'm going to take it easy on you," Optimus told her.

"I would be insulted if you did," Ratchet responded, her lips twitching in the beginnings of a smile, which was really all Jack had ever seen of her. He wasn't sure if she ever really smiled.

Ratchet began twirling one of her daggers, perhaps trying to use the flash to distract the Prime. Optimus took that as his opening and dove toward that side. Ratchet deflected the blow with her other dagger. The two went at it, attacking again and again. Sometimes they blurred when they moved, a reminder that Cybertronians were stronger and faster than humans.

Jack had forgotten that Ratchet was actually just as trained in fighting as the other Autobots. She usually stayed at base and out of the fights, but she was holding her own against Optimus. As far as he could tell, it didn't seem like Optimus was taking it easy on her.

A silver dagger was flung across the room and impaled the wall beside Fowler. The government agent actually did drop his half-eaten donut with an exclamation about Uncle Sam. Then he frowned at the dropped pastry before walking out of the room, grumbling about irresponsible Autobots.

Metal clanged as Optimus swung his sword down at Ratchet, but she parried his strike with her dagger. Now it was dagger against sword with their hilts against one another. Optimus and Ratchet twisted their blades and Optimus's sword skidded across the floor at the same Ratchet's dagger did. Jack thought that would end the spar, but they kept going.

Ratchet kicked Optimus in abdomen and away from her. While he was recovering, she swept his legs out from under him. The Prime went down, but as he was falling, he lashed out an arm and caught Ratchet on the side, throwing her to the ground beside him. Before the medic could recover, Optimus pinned her down by putting his knee on her chest, snatched the dagger he had disarmed from her, and put the point under her chin.

"I win," he said.

"Get off me," Ratchet grunted. She didn't seem upset about her loss.

Optimus stood and smiled. He turned away to face Ultra Magnus, who looked like he was about to give the Prime a huge lecture about how it was not protocol for a leader to spar with his wife, especially in front of his troops. Or maybe he was going to lecture Optimus on the proper treatment of women and how pushing them to the ground was unacceptable, though Jack found that unlikely.

Jack didn't realize something was wrong until he sensed Arcee tensing up. Raf pushed his glasses up his nose nervously, rising to go to his guardian. Looking at the practice room, Jack realized the Ratchet had rolled over onto her side, but made no move to get up.

As if sensing something was wrong, Optimus turned back to Ratchet. Concern began to mask his features, though he kept it in check so well it was hard to tell. Ultra Magnus made a face, clearly deciding that his lecture could wait.

"Are you alright?" Optimus asked.

Ratchet set up, nodding. "Just fine."

Optimus made the slightest change to his expression, but Jack thought he understood what it meant. Ratchet and the Prime had a staring contest that ended with Optimus helping Ratchet to her feet, but not asking anymore questions.

"What was that about?" Arcee asked. She was better at stabbing people than reading them – except for June. She and his mother had all sorts of silent conversations that were continually frustrating him.

"I think Optimus didn't believe her," Jack whispered. He was aware of Raf listening in, though he was still looking at Ratchet as she snatched her dagger from Optimus. "And Ratchet knows he doesn't believe her. I think they'll talk about it later – when they're alone."

"Humans – you seem so stupid, but you see and understand so much," Arcee mused. Jack decided to take that as a complement.

"Seventy percent of communication is nonverbal," Raf put in. "I think I'll ask Ratchet if she wants to do anything in the lab today." He turned to go, but paused and added, "Miko is going to get Bulkhead and Smokescreen to play guitar with her, so you guys might want to find some earplugs."

"Thanks for the warning," Arcee said to him as he walked toward Ratchet. The medic was currently heading for the dagger that had flown toward Fowler. "I think I'll stay here for another rematch with Wheeljack."

Fowler came back in, throwing his arms around dramatically. "By my stars and garters, my car hates me! Why in the blue blazes does the engine never work right?"

"I can look into that," Wheeljack said, stepping forward. The engineer grinned in an almost disturbing way as she flipped some curls over her shoulder with a hand. "Do you want it fixed in the human way or Cybertronian way?"

"Human. You Cybertronians like to use explosives too much in your engineering," Fowler grumbled.

Wheeljack pouted. "That takes the fun out of it, but whatever." She walked toward Fowler, her green bracelets jingling. "Let's go, Agent."

"My name is not Agent," Fowler muttered, turning back toward the door.

"Optimus introduced you to me as Agent Fowler," Wheeljack said. "Therefore, your name must be Agent."

"You're impossible," Fowler said.

Wheeljack laughed, flashing perfect white teeth. "I try."

She and Fowler exited the room. Miko was talking with Bulkhead and Smokescreen, playing an air guitar while she explained how to use her guitar. Ratchet and Raf made their way toward the door, followed by an Optimus who looked in no particular hurry to get anywhere.

Arcee sighed. "Guess I won't stick around for a rematch with Wheeljack."

"You could always spar with Ultra Magnus," Jack said, gesturing to the second in command.

Ultra Magnus was now standing with his arms crossed. He scowled at the floor as if it had done something to offend him. If Ultra Magnus had tripped, the floor would probably be receiving a lecture on how it was unprofessional to trip generals. With a faint hum of disappointment, Jack decided that the chances of Ultra Magnus tripping were one to thirty thousand. As if sensing Jack's gaze, he looked up, his scowl only deepening. Jack quickly looked away.

"I'd rather not," Arcee muttered, picking at her fingernails. The dark blue paint was chipping, Jack noticed.

"We could play that racing game that Raf installed in the television in the main hanger," Jack suggested. He was aware of Ultra Magnus slowly stalking toward them.

Arcee was too, apparently, because she said, "Sounds absolutely fantastic!" Jack knew she hated that game.

After an afternoon of playing videogames to avoid Ultra Magnus, Jack and Arcee prepared to go home. Technically, it was Jack's home, but as Arcee was his guardian, she lived there too.

They were standing outside the mesa. Jack pulled his bike into a standing position, straddling the seat and keeping his feet pressed firmly on the ground. It was nearing five in the afternoon and the Nevada sun was still hot. On the handle bars of his bike was a basket, where Arcee rode when they were in public.

The Cybertronians were sometimes referred to as Transformers because they could change their appearance to look like other species – like literally transform into that species. They shifted into other species to pass off as the human kids' guardians.

Ratchet transformed into a large white, fluffy dog with a red collar. Bulkhead took the shape of some sort of green lizard. Raf's parents had been unsure about the dog at first, but now they fully excepted Ratchet as Raf's pet. Miko's host parents absolutely hated the lizard, but they were too scared to tell their host daughter to get rid of it.

As for Arcee, she transformed into a black cat with a gold collar. However, Jack's mother, June Darby, knew the truth about the Cybertronians and what Jack and his friends did to stop a Decepticon takeover, so Arcee could take on her natural human shape when indoors. She still had to ride through town in the basket on his bike as a cat, though, to avoid any questions from the neighbors.

"We should leave before Miko and Bulkhead decided to ride home with us," Arcee said, glancing back the mesa.

She quickly shifted into a cat before Jack could remind her that Bulkhead had vehicle of his own and that Miko and Bulkhead were therefore not be riding home with them on Jack's bike. Arcee scratched behind her ear with a hind paw and then sprang into the basket. Cybertronians had the ability to communicate telepathically with other Cybertronians. Unfortunately, that didn't work with humans and they could only communicate in English while in their human form. Therefore, to tell Jack to go, Arcee pointed at the road with one front paw and hissed. When he didn't move right away, she lashed her lithe tail and her claws glinted suddenly in the sunlight.

"Alright, alright," Jack said with a laugh.

When he got home, Arcee shot into the house and quickly shifted back, stretching. "Ah, I hate being cramped up in that tiny species."

"Cats are cute, though," Jack said, walking past his Cybertronian guardian.

"Don't you ever call me cute," Arcee warned.

"Jack, Arcee, I'm in the dining room!" June called. "There's some macaroni-and-cheese in here for supper!"

Arcee grinned. "Well, it's got to be better than Ratchet's cooking."

"Ratchet doesn't cook," Jack pointed out. "She gives you medicine and Energon so you don't die."

"My point exactly," Arcee said with a sharp nod. "Nothing tastes worse than medicine. But Energon has a sweet flavor. I wish your species could consume it without burning up."

"I'll just take your word for it, 'Cee," Jack said, waving a hand dismissively at her. "And I assure you that Mom's macaroni-and-cheese tastes way better than medicine."

The three set down at the table, June cheerily asking about their day. Jack grabbed his fork, his mother watering as the smell of the macaroni-and-cheese fully hit him. He loaded up his fork. Someone pounded at the front door. June sighed, setting down her fork.

"I'll get it," she said.

The pounding resumed, followed by someone shouting. Jack was curious, but he was more concerned with his dinner. Arcee slapped his arm, making him drop his fork full of cheesy heaven, and then indicated the direction of the door. Sighing, Jack got up to follow his mother. Arcee transformed into her cat form and then followed Jack. He noticed that her tail was fluffed up, but decided against pointing it out.

June opened the door and Jack could only glimpse fiery red hair. For some reason, the color made him nervous.

"Please, you've got to help," the young boy said. He sounded like he'd been crying. "My father and mother were attacked. They're hurt. You have to help!"

Jack knew something was wrong then. He recognized that voice, unfortunately. He pushed past June, ignoring her yelp of protest, and looked down at the boy.

He was eight, with fiery red hair and red eyes. He was wearing jeans, a red long-sleeve shirt, and black running shoes. He looked scared, nervous, and was still crying a little. Jack didn't care.

Arcee shifted behind Jack, taking her natural shape, her gold knives flashing. "It's a trick!" she snapped. "Where are your parents?"

"I told you," the boy said, bursting into more tears. "They were attacked. Mama told me to get help – go to lights she said. You had lights. I didn't know you were an Autobot!"

"What is going on?" June asked.

"This is Sideswipe, Mom," Jack said. "The son of Breakdown and Knock Out."

"The Decepticons Knock Out and Breakdown?" June asked, blue eyes wide.

"Yes," Arcee growled. "I didn't think the Decepticons would stoop low enough to use a child in their traps."

"It's not a trap," Sideswipe sobbed. "The men in the armor came and attacked. Mama was just trying to get off the ship for a while because Megatron was mean. Father found us. And then the humans came – the one with the scars stabbed Mama. And…and they were attacking my father."

"Scars? That sounds like Silas," Jack said. "The men in black? You don't think it could be…"

"M.E.C.H.," Arcee spat. She sighed. "Optimus always says that Decepticons and Autobots are in it together when it comes to M.E.C.H. I suppose we should check it out. Knock Out was injured, you say?"

"Stabbed," Sideswipe cried.

"That's an injury," Arcee muttered. Jack got the feeling she was refraining from rolling her eyes. She turned to Jack and June. "You two stay here. I'll go with Sideswipe and contact the Autobots so they can back me up if it is a trap."

"It's not!" Sideswipe wailed. "I just want to help Mama!"

"Okay, let's go then," Arcee said harshly. "Take me to where Knock Out and Breakdown were."

Sideswipe turned and jogged off. Arcee took off after him, shifting back into a black cat so that she ran along beside him like a small shadow. Jack figured she was already contacting the Autobots.

June closed the door. "Jack, what do you think about this?"

Jack looked at the door. He really wished Arcee hadn't gone. His mother was still awaiting an answer.

"Sideswipe seemed pretty legit," he said. "And the Decepticons have never used him before to lure Autobots into traps…but they are called Decepticons for a reason."

June looked at the door. She made a half-hearted grab at the door like she was going to open it again, perhaps to see if she could summon Arcee back, but then she let her arm fall to her side.

She looked at Jack, hiding away her worry, for which Jack was grateful. Sounding a little too cheerful for the situation, she asked, "How about we finish that macaroni-and-cheese before it gets cold?"


	2. Chapter 2

**I was going to post this last night with the first chapter, but my computer decided to run out of battery, though it was plugged in and charging at the time. Anyway, I decided to go ahead and post this chapter this morning.**

 **I'm not sure when I'll post another chapter, but I am not abandoning this story. Hopefully, it will be soon.**

 **Thanks for all the reviews and favorites on Chapter 1! To tamersten, it took my a long time to decide how to make the "Transformers" human, but still able to transform. I'm glad you like my version. And nice prediction.**

 **Enjoy :)**

Raf looked up when Ratchet pressed against his legs, her fur warm and silkily soft. The dog was looking at Raf's younger sister somewhat disdainfully – well, as best a dog could, anyhow.

"I think Rachel's tired of you brushing her," Raf told her, using the human name his family had given Ratchet the dog. "You just brushed her fifteen minutes ago."

His little sister pouted, but then smiled. "I'll just brush her tomorrow." She patted Ratchet on the head as she skipped out of the room. Ratchet watched her go, then tossed her head, her ear making a flapping noise.

Before Raf knew what was going on, she darted out of the living room. "Rat – Rachel!" He followed her, just glimpsing her fluffy hindquarters ducking out of the newly installed doggy door.

Raf pushed his glasses back up on his nose as he threw open the door, trying to spot Ratchet. The Cybertronian had stopped just outside on his porch and was sitting down, looking toward the setting sun. The sunset reflected in blue eyes that were too intelligent for a normal dog.

 _Had to get out the house,_ she said telepathically.

Cybertronians communicated through telepathy all the time when they weren't in speaking distance. Humans, however, were not supposed to understand it all. For unknown reasons, Raf could, which allowed Ratchet to talk to him, even when she was in the form of a dog. Ratchet had been adamant that no one else discover this little fact about Raf, so she was the only one who ever talked in his mind.

Raf set down next to her, putting an arm on her shoulders. At least his sister's obsession with brushing Ratchet kept her long fur untangled and soft.

 _Are you okay?_

Ratchet rumbled deep in her chest. Not quite a growl, but the beginnings of one. _Why wouldn't I be?_

Ah, there was her prickliness. Not even Raf could fully escape her snark and attitude. At least he had yet to be attacked with a wrench.

 _Today was the third time in two weeks that you've gotten suddenly dizzy,_ he said.

Ratchet huffed, her shoulder expanding under his arm for a moment. _It's just the stress of watching out for you humans._ To prove she was attempting to be funny, she slapped her tail against the porch once.

"I just don't want anything to happen to you," Raf said. And he was being serious. Ratchet may have had her bad days, but she was actually caring and loving deep down. Plus, she told some amazing stories about Cybertronian and was teaching Raf Cybertronian when she had the time.

Ratchet licked the side of his face, and then made that rumbling sound again, as if she couldn't believe she had done that. Raf laughed, scratching her behind the ears to let her know he understood what she meant.

Raf started as Ratchet jumped up, dislodging his arm. Her hackles raised and her tail stuck out parallel with the ground. Raf felt the weird pricking at his brain he felt whenever he was near a Cybertronian sending or receiving a telepathic message.

Ratchet looked back at him, her eyes narrowed. _I have to go. Stay inside. Don't go anywhere until I get back._

"Be careful," Raf told her.

He reached out to give her one last pet, but Ratchet spun around and raced toward the street before he could reach her. Raf let his hand thump down beside him. He watched the white dog as she raced down the sidewalk and then around the corner at the block. He glanced back at the sunset, but the sun had fully set.

"I'm being serious," he whispered. He was thinking of whatever had come up and Ratchet's sudden spells of dizziness and sickness. "Please let her be okay."

He wondered if it was God or Primus who heard his pray – a human praying for the safety of a Cybertronian.

* * *

Bulkhead squeezed out of the top of his habitat. Miko always left the lid slightly open for this very reason. As of right now, Miko was out having a "family dinner" with her host parents, but Bulkhead got the feeling she was not enjoying that dinner or attempting to bond with her host parents.

The green lizard plopped down onto Miko's desktop. He glanced back at the habitat, wishing there was some way he could leave a message for Miko so she wouldn't worry when she got back and he was gone. Lashing his tail, Bulkhead leaped from the desk to Miko's bed. After clambering across the mountainous heaps of stuffed animals and blankets, he reached the wall. Sinking his claws into the curtains that went down between the wall and the bed, Bulkhead climbed up to the windowsill.

The window was cracked, as always, since Miko always got hot sleeping under all that fluff, and Bulkhead squeezed onto the bricks outside. Even though the sun had set, the bricks still held the sun's heat. Bulkhead looked down at the ground, flicking his tongue out uncertainly. In his natural form, the height would be no problem, but it was pretty high for a lizard.

He remembered Arcee's summoning, gathering up the determination to not leave her alone when she could possibly be led into a Decepticon ambush. Bulkhead closed and eyes and leaped.

He hit the ground sooner than he thought he would. The ground was softer than he thought was possible. He opened his eyes to see he was surrounded by white fluff.

 _You see why I am constantly worried about you all? You guys always do stupid stuff!_

 _Thanks for the catch, Ratchet,_ Bulkhead replied. _You know where we're going?_

Ratchet took off at a trot. Bulkhead dug his claws into her fur, careful not to actually scratch her skin. The medic lengthened her stride into a run.

 _I've got an idea._

That was good enough for Bulkhead. He wasn't afraid to admit that he was better at smashing things than anything else. It was better to let someone else do the strategic planning. Bulkhead began worrying about Miko, about how she would be so upset when she realized Bulkhead was gone.

Ratchet growled suddenly as a small, redheaded boy race by them, a black cat at his side. They were in a construction zone, so no humans were around. Ratchet went into a tumble and Bulkhead dove off her back. The dog came out of her tumble in her natural shape.

As Bulkhead shifted into his natural shape, he noticed Ratchet put a hand tentatively on her stomach, a sudden greenness in her cheeks. Before he could ask, the spell had passed and Ratchet was stalking toward Sideswipe and Arcee, who had shifted into her natural shape as well.

"Where is Optimus?" Arcee asked.

"He's coming," Ratchet said dismissively, her focus on Sideswipe. "Where's your mother?"

Her tone indicated she was not putting up with any nonsense. Sideswipe looked frightened, and Bulkhead didn't blame the kid. Ratchet was pretty frightening, especially when she was being and serious and angry doctor.

"Sideswipe?"

Bulkhead spun around, grabbing his gun. Arcee pointed her pistols as she moved up beside him. He hoped that Ratchet had pulled out her daggers.

Knock Out stood before them, frowning. She was dressed in a red leather jacket, silver shirt, red skinny jeans, and yellow wedges, which matched her yellow bracelets. Her long bright red hair, the same shade as Sideswipe's, was pulled back in a ponytail, but a few strands had fallen loose. She was holding her hands to her stomach, and Bulkhead could see the Energon between her fingers.

She glared at them. "Go ahead and kill the defenseless and injured medic. Prove how honorable you Autobots are."

Sideswipe made a run past Bulkhead, but Ratchet snatched him. Knock Out looked at her son and then snarled. Bulkhead noticed the bruise on her cheek.

"Where's Breakdown?" Ratchet asked.

"M.E.C.H. took him," Knock Out said. "Doesn't matter. Give me my son." She swayed on her feet. "Now!"

"Why'd Silas leave you?" Arcee asked, her pistols still pointed at the Decepticon medic.

"After I got stabbed and sent Sideswipe away, I transformed into a mouse and hid in the lumber," Knock Out said. She took a staggering step forward. "Come here, Sides."

Bulkhead and Arcee exchanged a look. This was looking less and less like a trap. Knock Out, in her vain fashion, was definitely above pretending to be injured. And her concern for Sideswipe seemed real enough.

Turns out it didn't matter what they thought, as Sideswipe broke free from Ratchet and ran over to Knock Out. He hugged her and Knock Out groaned, her red eyes filling with pain. Ratchet began to approach her.

"Let me take care of your wound."

"I can handle it myself," Knock Out sniffed. She staggered. "I'm perfectly fine."

Before an argument could break out, a grand black dog appeared. Beside him stood a white and gray dog, her tail wagging happily. Optimus and Wheeljack shifted into their natural shapes.

"Good thing the incident was within walking distance," Wheeljack said with a smile.

Something went off in Bulkhead's mind – a warning bell. He wasn't sure what had happened, but with the way Arcee was glaring at Wheeljack and Knock Out was looking at Wheeljack as if she had just said something important, he knew it was a big deal.

Optimus glanced at Wheeljack, and then turned to the others. "Put your weapons down. Knock Out and Sideswipe are no threats to us." The Prime looked Knock Out over. "You need medical attention."

"I'm fine," Knock Out spat.

Bulkhead had to stifle his life as she promptly staggered, lost her balance, and thumped to the ground. She glared at them, as if daring them to say something. Sideswipe tried his best to hide behind his mother as Optimus approached.

"Have you contacted your fellow Decepticons?"

Knock Out sniffed. "Over something as harmless as M.E.C.H.?"

"They took Breakdown," Arcee pointed out. "Unless that was a lie."

Knock Out snarled, a sound she seemed to be especially good at. "I am not a liar. Breakdown…" She trailed off. Bulkhead figured she was attempting to contact her husband.

"You didn't contact Megatron or any of the others, did you?" Ratchet said, making the question a statement. "You knew they wouldn't help you. In the Decepticon ranks, anyone is expandable, especially someone who's taken out by mere humans."

Knock Out seemed to have lost the will to snarl. "Perhaps some medical help would be nice." She glared up at Optimus. "If my son is injured, I swear to Primus I will kill you in the slowest, most painful way I can."

"Young Sideswipe will not come to any harm under Autobot care," Optimus promised, his deep voice reassuring. "The same can be said for you – unless you leave us with no choice." He turned his back on Knock Out, saying, "I'll contact Ultra Magnus and tell him to open a groundbridge." He glanced at Wheeljack as he said this – Knock Out did too. "Ratchet, you patch up Knock Out and then give Sideswipe a checkup."

"Hate doctors," Sideswipe muttered. He glanced at his mother. "Autobot doctors."

"Don't hate on Autobot doctors," Knock Out chided, glancing thoughtfully from Optimus to Wheeljack.

"Do you like Autobots, Mama?"

"Ssh, Sides. Autobots are Cybertronians, just as Decepticons are," the medic said. "And just as capable as making a slip-up."

Finally it clicked for Bulkhead. Wheeljack had unintentionally narrowed the search area of the Autobot base for the Decepticons. He looked from Knock Out and Sideswipe, who were being watched over by Ratchet and a frowning Arcee, to Optimus as the groundbridge opened.

Wheeljack went through first, avoiding Optimus's gaze. No doubt his wife had realized her mistake before Bulkhead did. Ratchet shooed Sideswipe along and Arcee helped Knock Out, not looking too pleased about it.

Bulkhead looked at Optimus. "You didn't offer to help just out of the goodness of your heart, did you?"

"She knows too much," Optimus said. Bulkhead sensed a 'because of your wife' that was left unspoken. "The shielding in the base will stop a Decepticon telepathic message from being sent."

"What are you going to do with her?" Bulkhead asked.

"I do not intend to harm her," Optimus said. "But I would like to hear the fully story of the attack and her reasoning for being off the _Nemesis_. I fear there is more going on than she is admitting."

"Optimus, if she leaves you no choice, will you take her out?"

Optimus looked up at the darkening Earth sky as the constellations appeared. "I will do what is necessary to protect those under my protection." He looked at Bulkhead. "That is something I will always promise."


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm finally free for the summer, so I should be updating more! Anyway, thanks for all the reviews and everything. Hope you enjoy the third installment of "More than a Team." It's told from Knock Out's perspective, so I really tried to add in some sass in her thought patterns.**

Knock Out looked at Sideswipe, who was curiously and nervously watching Ratchet stitch up her wound. Her son wrapped his arms around himself. Worried he was cold, Knock Out passed him her leather jacket, which she had removed.

"How long until your husband decides to officially make me a prisoner?" Knock Out asked, turning her attention to Ratchet.

Ratchet didn't answer, but continued stitching.

Knock Out hissed through her teeth. "That was a little too hard of stab, wasn't it?"

"Was it?" Ratchet asked innocently. She paused and pushed her glasses back up on her nose. "My bad."

Knock Out sighed. She turned her attention to the door. She could hear Optimus, Ultra Magnus, and Arcee arguing about her and Sideswipe being the in base. Speaking of the base, she now knew it was somewhere near the town of Jasper, Nevada thanks to Bulk el Stupid Head. Looking at the ceiling, she had to guess that the base was underground or among the rocks. That was news she could use to get a secure rank in the Decepticons…well, if she could count on the Decepticons.

Breakdown…well, she wasn't sure what had happened with him. Given M.E.C.H.'s track record, she doubted he had any chance. Without really thinking about it, she reached up to touch the bruise on her cheek.

"Stop moving. I can't stitch this probably when you move around," Ratchet snapped, giving Knock Out a slightly harsh tap on the knee.

"Sorry," Knock Out muttered. She glanced at her silver tank top. The Energon stain wasn't large, but…she hoped it would come out.

"It should," Ratchet said.

Oh, so she'd said that last part out loud. Knock Out turned her attention to the med-bay door as Optimus walked in, followed by a clearly fuming Ultra Magnus. The Autobot second in command was glaring at her.

"I just finished," Ratchet said, turning to Optimus. She set the stitching need down on the berth beside Knock Out. "The stab wound wasn't deep, so there should be no internal injuries."

Optimus nodded, his blue eyes regal. "Knock Out, you and Sideswipe will be staying with us. Ultra Magnus, take Sideswipe to their room."

"You're taking my son?" Knock Out asked, standing on her feet. She ignored the pain in her stomach.

"He will come to no harm," Optimus promised. He looked at Ultra Magnus somewhat sternly. "Isn't that right, Ultra Magnus?"

Ultra Magnus looked like he was gritting his teeth. "Of course, Prime." He looked at Sideswipe, who took a small step back. "Come along, soldier."

"Careful you don't choke on those words," Knock Out said, instinctively taking on her 'sassy' pose, one hand on her hip and the other waving in the air.

Sideswipe looked at Knock Out. She looked at Optimus, saw he wasn't going to take no for an answer, deflated her pose, and then nodded at Sideswipe. Sometimes one had to be submissive to save their skin. Looking nervous and scared, Sideswipe was guided out of the room by Ultra Magnus, who threw one last glare at Knock Out.

"Knock Out, is Breakdown truly kidnapped by M.E.C.H.?" Optimus asked.

"Yes," she said. "And don't bother trying to find him. I've seen what M.E.C.H. can do to our Vehicons. He's dead already."

"We don't know that," Ratchet said, though she didn't sound very hopeful. In fact, she was starting to look a little pale. The doctor in her wondered if Ratchet was sick.

Too bad, Knock Out thought. Any ailments or weaknesses that the Autobots had were a win for the Decepticons. Huh, weird she that hadn't thought it was a win for her. Whatever. She needed to get out of this base and contact the Decepticons so she could get some help to break Sideswipe out. She had a good bargaining chip now.

"Knock Out, we would like to help you," Optimus said. "What were you doing off the _Nemesis_?"

Knock Out's gaze landed on the berth. "You'd like to help me? How about you make sure no harm comes to my jacket or my son after I do this?"

She snatched the stitching needle and jabbed Ratchet's shoulder. The medic shrieked in surprise and pain and stumbled back. When Optimus made a come at Knock Out, she pulled out her Energon staff and made contact right at his throat. The Prime collapsed and Knock Out ran toward the door. She yelped in pain and dropped her staff when a wrench, tossed by Ratchet, clanged into her hand.

Weaponless, she fled the med-bay. She was hoping that Ratchet would stop to check on Optimus. She ran out into the main bay, dodging around Wheeljack and Smokescreen. Luckily, Ultra Magnus had yet to return from babysitting duty. Spotting some stairs that led up, Knock Out leaped at them, shifting into a scarlet ibis.

When she reached the exit door, she shifted into her natural form, jerked it open, and then shifted back, flying into the night sky. She envisioned the _Nemesis_ in her mind, sending her message to all Decepticons.

 _Follow my signal. Find me. I have important information._

Knock Out settled down about a mile from the Autobot base, among some rock spires that would hopefully shield her from Autobot scanners. She hoped the Optimus was serious about Sideswipe being unharmed. The Prime was probably awake by now and the stitching needle would have done barely any damage to Ratchet.

Wings flapped overhead. Knock Out watched as three black hawks landed and then shifted into Decepticons. Two were unnamed Vehicon soldiers, and the third was a dirty blond Vehicon who worked with Knock Out occasionally that everyone called Steve. Hearing larger wings flapping, Knock Out looked up.

Flying Cybertronians had wings in their natural form, but the most magnificent wings belonged to the best flyers known as Seekers, from the destroyed city of Vos. The first Decepticon to land was one such Seeker.

She wore a short silver dress and black tights and silver heels. Her raven-black hair went down past her waist. Long bangs covered the right side of her face, dyed a bright red that matched her eyes. She wore a silver circlet, identifying her as Vosian royalty. Her wings glinted silver, even in the darkness. A pair of daggers glinted on her black waist belt. Knock Out nodded once at Starscream as the other two Decepticons landed.

One was a tall and skinny man dressed in all dark purple-gray with a black facemask hiding his features. Knock Out could only just make out Soundwave's pale hands and his black hair over the top of his visor. His wings were thin and purple-gray. The other Decepticon was tall and muscular wearing a dark silver shirt, black cargo pants, and combat boots. His wings were large and broad and a dull, dark silver. His red eyes looked Knock Out over.

"Where's Breakdown?" Megatron snarled.

"Dead, most likely," Knock Out said offhandedly. She focused on Starscream, as she was the least threatening of the trio. Knock Out knew how to flatter Starscream or get the SIC to dissolve into a sass war to get what she wanted. "I know where the Autobot base is."

Megatron grinned, his teeth glinting. "That is indeed important information, especially for one whose loyalty is questionable. Perhaps I was wrong about where you stand."

"The Autobots, they have Sideswipe –"

Megatron cut her off. "Tell us where this base is, Knock Out. Starscream can take a team of Seekers and aircraft and bomb the base before the Autobots realize what is coming their way. We can finally end this war and rid the universe of Optimus Prime."

"But Sideswipe –"

"Will be a small sacrifice in the name of Decepticon victory," Megatron said.

Knock Out stared at him, uncomprehending. Finally, she realized that if she told Megatron what she knew, Megatron would kill Sideswipe. Her son…

She turned and ran. Behind her, Megatron roared, "Starscream, get her!"

Knock Out glanced back to see Starscream taking to the air behind her. She needed to be something faster. Within one stride, Knock Out was racing along as a red mare. She whinnied in pain and shock when a silver cougar slammed into her, her ribs crushing and her lungs beginning to burn.

Withering, she managed to kick Starscream off her, catching the cougar in the face with her back hooves. The Decepticon second in command attempted to get back to her paws, but collapsed onto the ground, shifting back into her natural form. Knock Out pushed herself to her hooves, groaning at the new pain in her chest. Unable to maintain her transformation, she shifted back into her natural form. Oh Primus, her ribs were broken. And her yellow heels were covered in red dust, making them a hideous puke-orange color.

Megatron roared in anger behind her. She could hear the large male taking to the sky. She couldn't fight him off, so she turned and fled, but her pace was slow, her lungs not working right.

 _Optimus, if you really are honorable, you'll open a groundbridge for me._

Megatron's sword slammed into Knock Out's leg, throwing her to the ground. Luckily, the blade hadn't cut her, but the force was strong enough that Knock Out wasn't sure if her leg could hold her weight. Megatron's dark form began to appear in the darkness.

Knock Out sobbed. She was dead. No, Megatron would let Soundwave perform a telepathic attack to get the information from her first, and then she would die. And so would Sideswipe. She was too young to die! And Sideswipe was even younger.

Green light. Green swirling light.

As Megatron swooped down, letting loose a war cry, Knock Out lunged into the groundbridge. She heard Megatron's frustrated roar, but it was getting fainter. The green light was gone, replaced by artificial light.

Her cheek was cold, the ground hard and smooth. Knock Out realized she was lying on the floor of the Autobot base.

She looked up, catching sight of Ratchet, who looked thoroughly upset and annoyed, and Optimus, whose emotions were perfectly hidden. Beside him stood Ultra Magnus, who looked like he was about to bash in Knock Out's head with his hammer. Sideswipe, still draped in her jacket, ran toward her.

Knock Out smiled at him. He was safe. Who cared what the Autobots did to her? They wouldn't hurt a child. He was safe.

* * *

 **Okay, here's a few things to explain.**

 **First, it is so hard to make Knock Out a decent and caring parent, but a totally vain and sassy woman all at the same time. Also, her dismissal of Breakdown will be explained.**

 **Second, the Cybertronians' natural forms are their human-looking forms. I made the Cybertronians naturally look like humans because their planet was formed by Primus and Earth was formed by Unicron. As both were mythical Cybertronian beings, the species they produced would look similar. However, since Primus was the "good guy," the Cybertronians have a few extra gifts and the humans are just…humans. (Man, I want a superpower)**

 **Finally, Ratchet is the same age as Optimus here, rather than older as that would just make their relationship creepy. And most the adult characters, with the exception of Arcee, I image to be around the same age (upper thirties, late forties), while Arcee is in her younger thirties.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Another chappie! Two in one day. This time, we get to hear from Starscream.**

Starscream pushed herself to her feet. Megatron landed beside her, wings spread in anger. He'd collected his sword and was holding the hilt so tightly that his knuckles were white.

He glared at her. "You let her get away."

Starscream almost pointed out that Megatron had let Knock Out get away as well, but she wasn't in the mood to get hit again tonight. She looked away from her husband. Megatron grunted, sheathing his sword.

Megatron turned his attention to Soundwave, the two Vehicons, and Steve. "You two, Vehicons, return to the _Nemesis_. I am in no mood for more disappointments tonight."

The Vehicons nodded and then shifted into dark birds and flew back to the Decepticon ship. Starscream watched them go, her wings twitching as Megatron began angrily pacing.

"Knock Out and Sideswipe are no longer members of the Decepticons," Megatron growled. "I will not tolerant anyone in my ranks who would hide away with the Autobots for the sake of a mere, weak child." Starscream winced at that. "Steve, congratulations. You've just been promoted to Decepticon medic."

Megatron glared at Starscream like he expected her to contradict him. Usually, she would have, but she found it fitting that Steve would be named medic as he often helped Knock Out. He was the next closest thing to a medic that the Decepticons had. Except for maybe Shockwave…Starscream shuddered at the thought of the scientist being in charge of injuries. No, Steve would do.

"Steve, check out Starscream's injury. She took a hoof to the face." Megatron turned away, leaving Starscream to glare at his back. He walked off a few paces, Soundwave silently following him. She got the feeling they were going to have a long telepathic conversation about her failure to bring Knock Out down.

Steve reached out and touched Starscream's cheek. She jerked back, her wings flaring slightly.

"Oops, sorry. Did that hurt?" Steve asked.

"What do you think, you dense idiot?" Starscream spat.

"My apologies, my princess," Steve said.

Starscream hated that. She had been the Princess of Vos back before the war. Her own people frowned upon because she studied abroad in Crystal City and became a scientist, but they knew better than to suggest following someone else. Besides, her people all knew she was the best and deadliest flier and no one would dare challenge her. At the beginning of the war, Vos had been bombed and utterly destroyed – along with the current Queen of Vos. Though Starscream had never had a coronation, and therefore was not the queen, her people, the Vosian Seekers, knew she was their leader. And she was loyal to her husband, therefore meaning that the Seekers were loyal to the Decepticons. It was all a bit complicated.

"Are your teeth loose?" Steve asked, distracting Starscream from her musings.

She tested her teeth with her tongue. There was a tiny wave of fresh pain, but nothing wiggled. "No."

"Then you'll just have some bruising," Steve said. "And maybe some minor swelling, but nothing to worry about. It's on the right side, so your bangs should cover the majority of the damage."

Starscream turned away from Steve, looking at Megatron and Soundwave. There had been a time, long ago, when Megatron would have conferred with her. Now he was convinced that she was his second best, not his equal. She sighed angrily, watched Megatron gesture wildly out into the darkness, no doubt talking about tracking down Knock Out.

She was not above thinking she could lead the Decepticons better than Megatron. It wasn't that she didn't think her husband was capable of leading, but he never actually bothered to learn what made his men tick. Starscream knew that the only thing Knock Out had the capability to love more than her looks was Sideswipe. Threatening Sideswipe…well, she wouldn't have done that. Of course it would push Knock Out to the other side.

"Steve, get back to the ship."

Steve scrambled off to follow Megatron's orders as Megatron stalked toward Starscream. Soundwave was flying into the sky in the background, the smaller form of Laserbeak darting out of the darkness to fly alongside him. Starscream met Megatron's gaze steadily. She knew what made her husband tick, when to press his buttons and when not to.

"Soundwave is going to make sure that the Autobots know they are harboring a Decepticon traitor," Megatron said.

Starscream almost blurted that that fact wasn't going to make the Autobots push Knock Out away. Then she realized that it might make the Autobots use Knock Out as a bargaining chip at some point. That was very unlikely, but, then again, Megatron liked to have many options and plans all at once. It was something the two of them had in common.

"I will tell Airachnid to release some of her Insecticons in this area to see if they can sniff out the Autobot base," Megatron continued.

"What of Breakdown?" Starscream asked.

"Apparently he and Knock Out were not exactly on good terms," Megatron said, his voice full of contempt for the lovers. "As for what happened to him, Soundwave thinks he was taken by M.E.C.H."

"Are we going to rescue him?"

"No," Megatron said. "Just as I don't tolerate traitors, I don't welcome soldiers taken out by mere humans." He glared at her. "I only welcomed you back after M.E.C.H. took you because you escaped on your own."

"And here I was under the impression that you welcomed me back because I was your wife," Starscream muttered.

Megatron arched an eyebrow. In the darkness, his dark brown hair was black. "My wife you may be, but you are a soldier first. Prove you're worthy of being my wife by surviving this war."

He turned and shifted into a dark gray wolf. He raced off into the night, leaving Starscream alone. She shifted her wings, expanding them, watching the starlight glint off the silver feathers. The tips of her large, primary were blood red, the same shade as her dyed bangs.

"Prove I'm worthy of being your wife?" she whispered to the night. "I already have. And you were once happy to be my husband…"

Starscream lifted her wings up, her shadow taking the form of a vengeful angel. She suddenly realized why Megatron was less concerned with her and more concerned with the war. She suddenly realized how to get her husband to come back to her.

"I will kill every single Autobot myself if I have too."

She swiped her lithe and strong wings downward, taking off into the night.

* * *

 **Okay, so Starscream is a seriously messed up character with a twisted view of the war and Megatron. I want her to be a killer, but I want her to have a motive...and Starscream is always wanting attention, so she wants Megatron's attention in order to have a loving relationship. Also, this chapter was a bit shorter than I thought it would turn out to be...but, I'll update soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

Ratchet stepped back from the berth, looking Knock Out over. The redhead had taken her jacket back from Sideswipe and had draped it over her shoulders. She was looking away from Ratchet and at her son, who was curled up on another berth. His chest rose and fell softly with sleep.

Knock Out's ribs weren't broke, but badly bruised. They'd been painful for a couple days. Her leg, too, was just horrifically bruised. The stitches hadn't been ripped loose, which was good. If Ratchet had to guess, Knock Out considered the bruise on her cheek the most damaging as it marred her good looks.

"Thanks," Knock Out muttered dully. "Sorry about that needle earlier."

Ratchet shrugged. Stitching needles were sharp, but they weren't that good at stabbing directly into the body. Besides, Knock Out had hit her collar bone, so she actually hadn't made it very far.

She nodded at Sideswipe. "What's with the colored contacts?"

"You know?" Knock Out asked, looking at Ratchet. Her red eyes looked devoid of emotion.

"I noticed when he was crying once Ultra Magnus told him you had left," Ratchet responded. "Not exactly the most tactful thing Ultra Magnus has ever done, but he's not that good with children."

"I did it to protect him," Knock Out said. "He's been wearing colored contacts all eight years of his life."

Instead of pointing out how un-Knock Out like this whole conversation was, Ratchet decided to stay focused on Sideswipe. "Because people are foolish enough to believe that red eyes and blue eyes are the deciding factor between Autobot and Decepticon," Ratchet surmised. "And Sideswipe has blue eyes."

"My mother did. That's where he gets it," Knock Out said. "I suppose I can tell him to take the contacts out tomorrow."

Ratchet turned away from her as Optimus walked into the room. Ratchet met her husband's gaze, searching for some emotion. She hated how he was so good at hiding emotion that he could hide his emotions from her. Unable to find anything, she decided to focus instead on the floor. She blinked away a sudden wave of nausea, but it only lasted a second.

"Knock Out, I bring a message directed at us from the Decepticons," Optimus said and Ratchet turned her attention to him. "Megatron has given orders that any Decepticon that sees either you or Sideswipe is to kill you on sight, as you are traitors to the Decepticons."

Knock Out closed her eyes. "I saw that coming."

"What is you wish to do?" Optimus asked. "You could leave, strike out on your own, or we could offer you shelter here."

"Shelter? When people such as Ultra Magnus live here?"

"Ultra Magnus will come around," Ratchet said, turning her attention back to Knock Out. "He won't hurt you. He's too afraid to disobey an order."

Knock Out glanced at her. "We'll stay. At least for a while."

Optimus nodded. "I'll get Ultra Magnus to make sure your room is ready."

Knock Out rolled her eyes. "Of all the servants, he had to give me the rebellious one." To Optimus she said, "Make sure he gets all the wrinkles out of the sheets."

Ignoring the redhead's sass, which meant she was recovering, Ratchet turned to say something to Optimus, but he had his back to her as he walked out of the med-bay. Unwilling to communicate telepathically, Ratchet turned back to Knock Out. The former Decepticon was narrowing her eyes at her.

"There's something wrong with you," she said.

"I'm fine," Ratchet retorted with a snort.

"We've known each other since high school," Knock Out said. "I think I know when something's off about you."

"I am perfectly healthy," Ratchet insisted. She wondered how Knock Out had already noticed her dizziness and whatnot.

Knock Out shrugged, the will to argue draining out of her. "Whatever." Something was wrong when the two of them were too tired and upset to argue.

"Knock Out, listen to me." Once Ratchet had Knock Out's full attention, she continued. "If you betray the Autobots here, I will not hesitate to kill you. I know the weakest points of any Cybertronian."

Knock Out smirked. "I wouldn't expect anything less of a slagging glitch like you."

Ratchet glared at Knock Out, and she glared right back. Sadly, this was familiar to Ratchet. Suddenly, she laughed. Knock Out did as well.

Sideswipe twitched in his sleep and Knock Out ordered Ratchet to be quiet before he woke up. Ratchet smirked. It was cute to see Knock Out actually care about someone other than herself for once.

But it kind of unnerved her how quickly she was starting to feel friendly toward Knock Out again.

Optimus walked back in. "Come on, Knock Out. Let's get you settled in." When Knock Out took a step toward Sideswipe, Optimus said, "I got him. You can't carry him with those stitches."

 _You big softie_ , Ratchet sent telepathically.

Optimus simply grinned at her as he gently scooped Sideswipe up in his large arms, careful not to wake the child. Ratchet watched him carry the boy out, her heart thumping painfully. She wanted so badly for that to be her child – hers and Optimus's – but that wasn't possible. Not with Optimus being Prime and there being a war going on.

She began cleaning up her medical tools, cursing herself for being so weak and foolish. She pretended to be uncaring for a reason. People wouldn't worry about a heartless medic, but a caring wife of the Prime? Yeah, they would worry about her. Ratchet had become who she needed to be for the sake of the Autobots.

Too bad she had had to give up on becoming who she wanted to be.

"Ratchet?"

She turned to smile at Optimus. "Two more people to care for. You just couldn't send her and the child away, could you?"

"Not after Megatron's declaration," Optimus admitted. "I just wonder what had Knock Out off the _Nemesis_ in the first place, and why Sideswipe and Breakdown with her. She seemed to be very lacking of any emotions of Breakdown's kidnapping, if he was truly taken by M.E.C.H." He looked at Ratchet, and she could tell he was about to change topic. "Why don't you tell me exactly what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, Optimus," she said. She was getting tired of people asking her that.

"You don't just randomly get dizzy, Ratchet. And Bulkhead told me that he thought you turned green upon meeting up with Sideswipe," Optimus said. He reached and touched her cheek. "I care about you, you know?"

"You shouldn't. You shouldn't care about me more than you care about the other Autobots."

"You are so foolish," Optimus said. "I can't just stop caring for you. I love you."

"I love you, too," Ratchet said, hugging him. That was a phrase she could never say to Optimus when the others were around.

"Do you love me enough to tell me what's wrong with you?"

Ratchet sent him a telepathic message expressing that she was annoyed. "Nothing is wrong with me!"

She felt Optimus sigh, his chest expanding under her cheek. "Okay. Let's get to bed, shall we? It's been a late night."

Ratchet almost agreed. But then she remembered that she had sent Bulkhead and Arcee back to their human charges. She had one as well.

"I can't," she said, pulling out of the hug. "I have to get back to Raf."

Optimus sighed again, but his eyes were full of understanding. "I will see you in the morning."

"Always," Ratchet promised.


	6. Chapter 6

June walked into the Autobot base. She thought it was weird that Optimus was now insisting that everyone use the groundbridge to exit and enter the base, but he told her it was for safety reasons, and June wasn't going to go against any safety reasons.

Jack had called her this morning to tell her the news of Knock Out and Sideswipe now being in the base. He assured her that they were perfectly safe as the Decepticons were under close watch, but June decided to check things out for herself.

Upon entering the base, she noticed that Raf, Miko, and Jack were playing video games, while Bulkhead, Arcee, and Fowler watched them. Fowler waved at June as soon as he spotted her, unbalancing his plate of pizza, and he cursed as the food splatted onto the floor. Stifling her laughter, June turned her attention elsewhere as Fowler began to clean up the soiled food.

Smokescreen was playing a game of tag with Sideswipe, while Wheeljack looked on with motherly love. Ultra Magnus was standing nearby, arms crossed as he glared at Sideswipe. June noticed that Sideswipe's eyes were blue this morning, but she didn't say anything about it.

Closer to her, Ratchet and Knock Out were working together on the groundbridge controls. Optimus was out, perhaps doing something in one of the back rooms or patrolling.

"No, that reactor goes to the left of the molecular transmitter," Ratchet said to Knock Out.

"Oh, please," Knock Out spat. "I've put together enough things to know how to do this."

"Listen to me," Ratchet said, her voice harsher than before. "I'm the one who is actually certified in engineering, so I think I know what I'm talking about."

Optimus walked out of the hallway as the two continued to bicker, their annoyance and anger clearly growing. Optimus nodded once at June in greeting as he marched toward the two medics to break up the fight.

"You stupid glitch," Knock Out said, finishing off a long list of insults.

Ratchet just stared at her. Then she laughed. The sound seemed to startle the other Autobots, but Ultra Magnus looked the most stunned as he visibly jumped in surprise. Then Knock Out started laughing. Optimus looked between the two of them as they began to work together again in perfect harmony. His eyebrows pinched in confusion.

June walked over to him. "Women can be confusing sometimes," she told him.

Optimus just let out a thoughtful hum. A tool clanked to the floor and June turned to see Ratchet steady herself on the groundbridge controls. Her pale complexion became even paler. Optimus started toward her, but Ratchet recovered and waved a hand to dismiss him.

Optimus didn't dismiss. "Ratchet…please, tell me what's wrong."

"I've told you before, it's nothing!" Ratchet responded. "It's just stress…or the reduction of the Energon rations."

"Then go back to normal rations," Optimus told her.

"I can't take from the others," Ratchet said.

"Ratchet…"

"You can't treat me differently just because I'm your wife!" Ratchet spat.

Her eyes widen as if she realized she had just blurted out something she wasn't supposed to. With a final huff, she turned and stormed off to the med-bay. Optimus started after her, but Knock Out stopped him by tripping him up on a tool that looked like a crowbar. June walked over to the Prime as Knock Out smiled a not-quite-apologetic smile and shuffled away.

"I can try talking to her," June said, offering on the basis that Ratchet might not kill her on sight since she was just a human. Optimus gave her a nod after a moment of hesitation.

June walked into the med-bay, where Ratchet was pacing. She glanced up at June, and then looked away. She'd taken off her lab coat, and her black skirt swished around her legs as she walked. She swiped a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear.

"Have you always felt that way?" June asked.

"Yes," Ratchet said softly. "I always try to hide whenever I'm upset or injured because Optimus will worry about me more than the others. It's…It's not right for a leader to care for one particular member of the team above the others."

"Is that you talking or Ultra Magnus?" June asked.

Ratchet looked away. "Ultra Magnus isn't exactly wrong…"

"He is, Ratchet," June insisted. "Listen, I loved Jack's father, but he didn't love me back. You should cherish the fact that Optimus loves you enough to die for you, to take away your pain."

Ratchet pushed her glasses up. "June, am I a horrible wife for feeling this way?"

"No," June said. "And that feeling proves what a wonderful medic you are. But…it does prove how little you value your own needs and wants."

"What I want would add a complexity the Autobots can't afford right now."

June wasn't sure what to make of that, so she decided to change topics. She picked the most random thing she could think of, channeling her inner Miko. As she had been working in the OB ward last night, her mind went in that direction. "Maybe I should ask Wheeljack, as she has actually had a kid, but I was curious to know if Cybertronian pregnancies are like human pregnancies."

Ratchet grinned. She loved explaining anything Cybertronian. "Well, a Cybertronian pregnancy lasts nine months like a human pregnancy. The last two months are full of lots of eating and sleeping. Months three through six are full of mood swings, weird cravings, and the occasional need to obsessively clean everything, along with various aches and pains. The first two months are full of dizziness and sickness." Ratchet paled. "Oh no."

She ran to some piece of equipment. "Please let me be wrong," she said, putting her hand under the scanner.

June walked over to see what was going on. When the scan was complete, a holographic results chart appeared. June wasn't sure what she was looking at, and the language was Cybertronian, but she noticed one of the bars was considerably higher than the others.

Ratchet let out a sob. "Oh, this is terrible. We can't afford this right now. Optimus…Optimus will be so upset."

As if she had summoned him, Optimus burst into the med-bay. He looked overly concerned, and June came to the conclusion that Ratchet must have accidently reached out to him telepathically. He rushed over to Ratchet and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Why are you so upset?"

When Ratchet's only respond was to burst into tears and bury her head in Optimus's chest, the Prime looked at June questioningly. She gestured to the chart, unable to get her voice to work. Ratchet had always been the Autobot that was most likely to yell insults rather than burst into tears. Optimus looked at it for a while before he finally seemed to realize what the readings meant.

"Ratchet, is this your scan?" he asked softly.

"I'm sorry, Optimus. I know that this will only make things more complicated. It'll just put more stress on everyone," Ratchet said, wiping away tears just about as quickly as they were falling.

"Oh, Ratchet, I'm not mad." Optimus grabbed her chin and gently lifted her face up. "Please stop crying. I'm not mad. I'm happy, overjoyed actually."

"You are?" Ratchet asked. Then she shook her head, dislodging Optimus's fingers. "You can't feel that way, Optimus. You have to stay focused for the sake of the others."

"Stop thinking about the others for once," Optimus said, a little forcefully. "Think about yourself. You want this, don't you?"

"For so long," Ratchet said, her voice hitching. "But…the others –"

"Will support you," Optimus said. "I want this, too. And it makes me incredibly happy that this is happening to us. It's a dream come to reality."

Ratchet smiled and hugged her husband. June cleared her throat, and the two turned to her.

"Not that you two aren't adorable, but can you please tell me what's going on?" she asked.

"This is a scan of hormones found in my body," Ratchet said, gesturing to the chart.

"The highest bar is for estra," Optimus added.

"Which is only found in expecting females," Ratchet finished with a small smile.

June took a while to process that. "Wait…you're pregnant?"

Ratchet nodded. "Just about two weeks along." Optimus put a protective arm around her waist, as if expecting June to chew Ratchet out.

June grinned. She felt a rush of warmth for the aliens. "That's great!"

There was a clang and everyone turned to face Miko, who had snuck in unnoticed. "You're pregnant?" she asked, grinning wide. "Oh, wait until the others find out!" She ran out of the room before anyone could stop her.

"Well, guess it's time to announce this new development," Ratchet muttered, glaring at the doorway.

"She means well," June said, feeling a need to defend the young girl. She liked her spirit, even if it did get her into trouble.

Optimus didn't look phased. "We should get out there before everyone comes rushing in here with questions." He looked at Ratchet. June got the feeling they had shared some words via mind-talk. Frankly, that was kind of disturbing. Speaking aloud, Optimus said, "And it is time to welcome two new Autobots to our ranks."

"Knock Out and Sideswipe? But they've been here less than twenty-four hours," June said.

"They have nowhere else to be," Ratchet pointed out. "Besides, Knock Out was my best friend in high school and in the Iacon Medical Academy. I can read her well enough to know that she isn't in league with the Decepticons anymore. The only Decepticon she cared about is dead now, butchered by M.E.C.H."

June thought about pointing out that no one had actually bothered to check that out fully, that there was no positive evidence that Breakdown was really dead, but decided against it. This was a happy day for the Autobots. She wasn't going to ruin it for them.

She watched Ratchet and Optimus walk out of the med-bay, her happiness for them fighting with her worry for them.

She wasn't going to ruin the couple's happiness, but she knew certain beings who would certainly try to.

* * *

 **I forgot any chapter notes on the previous chapter and I apologize.**

 **Ratchet was a little OOC here in this chapter, but...you know, pregnancy hormones and whatnot. Also, this is totally how my aunt, who is a nurse, discovered she was pregnant by listing the systems of pregnancy to a patient.**

 **Also, I haven't forgotten dear little Bumblebee and I promise he will be introduced (bet you can guess how :) ).**

 **Reviews are always welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7

Optimus Prime walked across the main bay of the Autobot base, the computer console with all its scanning instruments his destination. He paused, the flash of a red fender catching his attention and making he think of the late Cliffjumper. As the events of the last couple of weeks replayed in his mind, Optimus reminded himself that this car was not the red muscle car that had belonged to Cliffjumper, but rather the red sports car that was currently the prized possession of Knock Out and something to practically worship for Sideswipe.

With a huff of amusement that would have gone unnoticed by anyone whose name didn't rhyme with Hatchet, Optimus recalled the day when Fowler had asked Knock Out what Earth transportation vehicle she would like, since she was now an Autobot. Without hesitation, Knock Out had demanded the Aston Martin and, with a lot of grumbling about Knock Out's expensive tastes, Fowler had provided; he even made sure the Aston Martin was bright red and had the silver designs and yellow rims. Knock Out was incredibly proud of her car, and Optimus doubted it'd ever leave the base for fear of damaging the chassis, or, even worse, the paintjob.

As he continued on toward his original destination, Optimus reflected that another Autobot vehicle never left the base, but for a completely differing reason. Ratchet's red and white ambulance simply sat gathering dust in the entranceway among the other vehicles as she hardly felt the need drive off. Instead, she always left in the form of a shaggy, white dog named Rachel to continue her guardian job of Raf.

Speaking of his wife, Optimus noticed she was standing at the computer console, looking at one of the screens. She was dressed in jeans, a white sleeveless shirt and had a red scarf tied around her neck. The last time Optimus had seen her dressed in such a causal way had been back on Cybertron – perhaps in the days before that fateful High Council hearing. Ratchet didn't look at Optimus as he approached, but she acknowledged his presence with a hum.

Optimus studied her face, noting the faint signs of exhaustion. A month along in her pregnancy, fainting and bouts of nausea were frequent. Optimus had finally convinced Ratchet to take more than her fair share of Energon since she was now consuming for two, but it was harder to convince the stubborn doctor that she was to be resting more than before – especially in the coming months. Besides, the Autobots now had Knock Out to deal with medical disasters, despite her constant complaining and outbursts of vanity.

"You should take a break," Optimus told his wife.

"Then who would watch the scanners?" Ratchet replied absentmindedly. She reached up to push her glasses up on her nose.

"I'm sure I could find someone," Optimus retorted evenly. "You really need to rest before you faint again. Bulkhead thought you were dying when you passed out yesterday mid-sentence."

"I wasn't dying," Ratchet said. "And Bulkhead always overreacts."

Optimus resisted the urge to sigh. Ratchet's stubborn streak was sometimes admirable, but at times like this, Optimus had to refrain from physically grabbing her and getting her to do what was required for her own health. Instead, he turned his focus on the rest of the main bay.

Ultra Magnus was having a conversation with Arcee, the two occasionally glancing at Knock Out who was in the process of trying to get Sideswipe to detach from her leg in the middle of the room. Wheeljack and Bulkhead were walking toward the back, probably to tinker with something. The teenagers – Jack, Smokescreen, Miko – were playing a video game up in the sitting area on the upper catwalk. Raf was sitting down on a couch on the lower level, playing chess against himself. He smiled up at Optimus when the Prime happened to look his way; the smile was so sweet and cute, Optimus found himself returning the gesture with a small smile of his own.

Ratchet followed his gaze. "You know, you never did bring Raf back that snowball."

"I almost froze to death," Optimus replied, turning to look at her.

Ratchet shrugged. "I almost got eaten alive by Scraplets. I think we're at a draw here. Unless you think you're nearly died more than I have."

Optimus recognized this tactic – deflection and redirection. Ratchet was a pro at the tactic and could steer a conversation in any direction she wanted practically all the time – unless she was talking to Optimus. The former librarian was a pro at recognizing the tactic and refusing to acknowledge the distractions that Ratchet offered.

But, he wondered if there was another reason Ratchet was mentioning that particular day. He knew it had been stressful for the both of them, and, when the day was over, Optimus had really just wanted to be alone with his wife. The Prime wasn't above admitting that Ratchet was the one who always stopped them going too far. That particular day, she hadn't; neither had Optimus. And now they were going to be parents. He felt a flash of guilt, as if he were solely responsible for the stress that the pregnancy was going to put on Ratchet.

"Go rest," Optimus said. "If not for your sake, then for the sake of our child. I can watch the scanners for a while."

Ratchet hesitated – Optimus knew that this was her way of telling him that she wasn't doing this just because he said so – but then agreed to take a break and sit down for a while – which told Optimus that she had actually been feeling the effects of her pregnancy, though she had never admitted it. The Prime watched her walk over to couch and sit down beside Raf.

"Ratchet, I have a question for you." Raf twisted to look at his guardian.

Ratchet responded to her favorite human with a questioning hum.

Taking that as an okay, Raf asked, "What happens to the fetus when you transform into another animal?"

Ratchet's blue-green eyes lit up in the way that Optimus loved, the light that glowed whenever she was discussing something she was passionate about. "The fetus transforms as well," Ratchet said. "After all, transforming is very much part of Cybertronian DNA." She twisted the chess board around so that she could play as the black pieces (Optimus dully noted that she had chosen to play as the team that was currently winning). "Back in the ancient times of our race, just after the extinction of the Predacons during the Rust Age, Cybertronians lived in nomadic tribes. It was a ritual for a female Cybertronian to shift forms during labor and if she lost concentration and shifted back to her natural form, then she would be killed for not being strong. If the baby was born in its natural form, then it would be killed for having defective genes. Luckily, this ritual was dropped upon the rise of the Primes."

"The rise of the Primes?" Raf asked. "What was that?"

Ratchet sighed, and Optimus could see the sudden exhaustion that seemed to overtake her. "A story for another time, Raf. How about we just play this game of chest?"

"It's chess," Raf corrected her. He didn't seem too upset about having to wait for another story about Cybertronian history.

Optimus was distracted from the two by someone pulling on his jeans. He looked down into the blue eyes of Sideswipe. "Can you tell me a story? Mama says she's busy."

Knock Out walked over, her yellow wedges thudding on the concrete ground. "Sideswipe, leave Optimus alone. He's a busy person." She pushed at Sideswipe's shoulder until the eight year old started to walk away. "And don't you bother Ratchet either!" she added.

"Can I go play with Jack and Smokescreen?" Sideswipe asked.

"Yes, yes," Knock Out said with a wave of her hand. "Just don't punch anybody – you'll make me look bad."

"I won't," Sideswipe promised with a wide, toothy grin as he scampered toward the yellow, metal stairs that led up to where Jack, Smokescreen, and Miko were.

Knock Out huffed and began gathering her red hair up in messy bun. She looked at Optimus, her lipstick-red lips curling into a smirk. "I do believe that you are supposed to be watching the scanners?"

Before Optimus could formulate a response, Knock Out straightened her red leather jacket and flaunted off. Optimus found himself wondering if the former Decepticon could do anything without a dramatic flair – and then quickly decided that she could not (just as she could not diminish her vain streak).

However, she did have a point. He had promised Ratchet he'd take care of the scanners while she currently preoccupied with losing to Raf. Considering all the Cybertronian games Optimus himself had lost to Ratchet, he figured she wasn't really all that concerned with winning.

He had just finished checking all the readings to determine there was nothing abnormal when he was approached by Ultra Magnus. The general looked annoyed – Optimus wasn't above admitting to himself that that seemed to be the default expression for the older man – but he ran a hand through his dirty blond hair as if he had nervous energy. Optimus had never known Ultra Magnus to be nervous about anything, so he doubted that was really the case.

"May I talk to you, Prime?" he rumbled.

"You should know you don't even have to ask," Optimus replied. Sometimes, it still seemed surreal to him when Ultra Magnus asked Optimus's permission for things. Ultra Magnus was older and actually had a military background, while Optimus himself was simply from a middle class family and had had the occupation of a librarian. "What is it you wish to discuss, Ultra Magnus?"

"I do not like the fact that the Decepticon medic and her child are still here in our base," Ultra Magnus stated, glancing at Knock Out's retreating back. "She has a way of unsettling me."

Optimus resisted the urge to sigh, or perhaps roll his eyes. Ultra Magnus had been the most vocal against Knock Out's (and, by default, Sideswipe's) acceptance into the Autobot ranks. Arcee had been incredibly angry at first, but after Knock Out's admission that she herself hated Airachnid, the two women had mutually agreed to be largely indifferent to one another.

"Knock Out has been here for two weeks and has followed all of our orders without question," Optimus reminded Ultra Magnus.

"She complains, though."

"As does Wheeljack, or even Arcee about certain things," the Prime pointed out. "Besides, Arcee has been keeping an eye on both Knock Out and Sideswipe and neither have done anything suspicious. Sideswipe spends his days playing and getting into typical child mischief, while Knock Out is either with Ratchet or cleaning her car." Optimus glanced back at the couch to see that Ratchet had lost the chess game and was currently curled up on the couch in the form of Rachel, her eyes closed. Raf was playing against himself again. "You must admit that it is good to have another medic on the team considering Ratchet's current condition."

Ultra Magnus gave Optimus a slightly incredulous look. Probably wondering how Optimus was handling the said condition himself, as he was the father. Then he shook his head, apparently deciding that was a topic he did not yet wish to discuss, and then said, "Speaking of Ratchet's condition, perhaps we should consider finding Raf a new guardian."

"First off, you are welcome to inform Ratchet that she is no longer adequate for her guardian job," Optimus said, knowing full well that Ratchet would not take kindly to that conversation whenever it came. "Second, Ratchet is still quite capable of being Raf's guardian for a few more months. Third, Smokescreen would probably make the best replacement, so he gets some time out in the human world. And finally, when I say 'you are welcome to,' I mean that you will be the one to tell Ratchet to step down from her guardian duties."

"Back to my original point," Ultra Magnus said, his voice a little tight, "Knock Out unnerves me."

"Unnerves you how?" As he spoke, Optimus glanced back at the scanner readings. Same old typical readings of Energon and energies with no sign of Decepticon activity – all not worth mentioning or checking.

"She makes me…feel like I need to keep an eye on her," the general explained. "Or like I need to run out of the room. Perhaps I feel the need to retrieve my weapons in case she attacks."

"Does she appear threatening to you?"

"Well…no, but my nerves fritz out like she is a threat."

Optimus raised an eyebrow, unable to completely hide his surprise. It sounded as if Ultra Magnus was attracted to the redheaded medic, but unfamiliar with the feeling of love, he believed that he was reacting to Knock Out as if she was a threat. The Autobot leader supposed he couldn't blame Ultra Magnus for being attracted to Knock Out. She was beautiful (and was definitely well aware of this) and she avoided mentioning her, most likely, late husband. Whenever someone happened to ask her about Breakdown, she'd simply shrug and say that Silas and his M.E.C.H. team had probably killed him.

Optimus decided he had more important things to do than get involved with Ultra Magnus's romantic drama. "Just keep an eye on her, then, Ultra Magnus, to calm you nerves. Ratchet assures me that she believes Knock Out is true in her dedication to the Autobot cause, and the two of them grew up together. You must admit that Knock Out has taken very well to the humans."

That was true. She liked Raf and June, was seemingly indifferent to Fowler and Jack, and was easily annoyed by Miko, but she had refrained from zapping her with her Energon prod, so Optimus considered her annoyance an improvement over maiming.

Ultra Magnus nodded. "Very well," he muttered. He scratched his beard, and then turned and walked off. "Arcee, I want you to take a groundbridge out and patrol Sector Four. I'll go with you."

The black-haired woman hurried over to the Autobot SIC, her blue eyes flickering with the impatience to get out of the base for a while. Optimus reflected that Arcee had more restless energy than Wheeljack or Smokescreen, though both could be described as more energetic.

An alarm sounded, and Optimus turned to face the scanners. One of the beacons was blinking, but Optimus wasn't actually sure what it meant. Raf jogged over, with Ratchet at his heels, shifting mid-stride into her natural form. The teenagers discarded their video game and looked down from the catwalk, while Sideswipe stopped dancing around and stilled for once. Bulkhead and Wheeljack reemerged from the back of the base, and Knock Out poked her head out of an entranceway. Ultra Magnus and Arcee walked over, forgetting about their earlier mission.

"There's a spike of Cybertronian energy," Ratchet said, triangulating the coordinates. She looked at Optimus. "Like every other time, I'd amuse the Decepticons are already there."

"We'll fight them off, like every other time," Bulkhead said, slamming his fist into the flat of his palm.

"Autobots, roll out," Optimus ordered. He looked up at the catwalk. "Smokescreen, you too." Miko opened her mouth and Optimus, turning away, added, "No humans. We do not know what we are walking into."

"Do we ever?" Arcee muttered.

Optimus ignored her. He glanced at Ratchet as she started up the groundbridge. He was always a bit worried about leaving her behind permanently, but now he realized he would be leaving behind more than a wife. Ratchet glanced at him, her expression neutral, and Optimus knew she was guarding her emotions, as she always did, in an attempt to keep Optimus focused. The Prime nodded at her once, and then turned to the swirling green light of the groundbridge.

He started forward, his team following. Arcee and Ultra Magnus strode confidently on either side of him. Smokescreen eagerly awaited one of his first skirmishes, while Wheeljack and Bulkhead were anticipating the chance to pound some Decepticons. Optimus forced himself to not look back at the people he was leaving behind – Ratchet and Raf would be standing beside one another, silently watching them leave; Miko, Jack, and Sideswipe would be peering down from the catwalk with varying degrees of worry on their faces; Knock Out would be slowly emerging from the hallway and walking toward the others.

Optimus Prime's field of vision was flooded with swirling, green light. Then, he could see bright daylight, orange cliffs, and a wad of Decepticon Vehicons.

* * *

 **I personally like to imagine that Optimus has all these witty and sarcastic thoughts and no one ever knows because he never voices them. Also, less focus on Ratchet in this chapter, but I will definitely be including the progressive of her pregnancy and its symptoms throughout the story.**

 **Also, the whole Ultra Magnus and Knock Out thing...well, it may or may not work out. (Remember, nothing has been confirmed yet about Breakdown).**

 **The season one episode "Scrapheap" was alluded to here, but the story will not follow the timeline of _Prime_ exactly. **

**Sorry for the cliffhanger.**

 **Reviews are welcome, as always! They help me determine what the people want. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Megatron frowned, displeased with the results of the efforts of the Vehicons. The Decepticons were gathered beneath a large, orange cliff with a rushing river nearby, hemming them on a strip of grassy land. To Cybertronians with wings, however, being trapped with no roof overhead was impossible.

Standing around the Decepticon leader was his Decepticon cabinet of officers. Closest to him, standing with her hands on her hips, was his wife, Starscream. Unlike the others, she seemed to be focusing on their current surroundings rather than Megatron. Watching the on goings in perfect silence was Soundwave, with Laserbeak perched on his shoulder. As Laserbeak was a Mini-Con, he lacked the genetic superiority to transform into more than one shape per planet and had chosen a raven for the duration of their stay on Earth. Standing beside Soundwave was Steve, the replacement medic since Knock Out's defection to the Autobots, and Dreadwing. The large Vosian was dressed in jeans, a yellow T-shirt, and a dark blue flight jacket. His dark blond hair was cut short in a military style, and he watched the Vehicons work with his cold, red eyes. His gold and blue wings were tucked in neatly behind him.

The final officer was Airachnid. She wore black leather pants, a purple blouse, and a long, black leather jacket that occasionally flashed purple-blue in the light. A golden headband with horns crested her head, and her black hair was streaked with purple dye. Large gold hoop earrings dangled from her ears. Megatron knew that Starscream found Airachnid's purple lipstick and eyeshadow a bit much, but the former gladiator really didn't care that much about cosmetic issues.

Two Vehicons approached Megatron. He thought they may have been married couple, but he didn't particularly care.

The male said, "Lord Megatron, we cannot retrieve the artifact. Our efforts have resulted in nothing but burns." At this, the female showed off the blistering, red skin of her hands and forearms. Megatron dismissed the two Vehicons by turning his back to them.

"Perhaps the stories are true," Dreadwing rumbled in his deep baritone.

Not responding to him, Megatron turned to Starscream. "Perhaps you should attempt to retrieve the sword."

Starscream tilted her chin up defiantly. A breeze shifted the dyed red bangs shielding the right side of her face so that Megatron got a glimpse of both of her eyes. "I am of the Royal Vosian House, and not a Prime." She bowed, the silver circlet in her head glinting. "Perhaps you would garner better results, Lord Megatron, if you attempted to remove the Star Saber from its current embedment in the rock."

Megatron knew she was attempting to get a reaction from him, and he refused to be baited. "Despite my best efforts, Optimus Prime still lives, and I am not a Prime." He turned to glare at the golden hilt of the Star Saber that was protruding from the cliff. "I will be Prime."

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could get Optimus to help us in retrieving the sword?" Airachnid said slowly, smirking. "We could then steal it from him."

"We wouldn't be able to use its power," Dreadwing pointed out.

"But neither would Optimus," Megatron said. "Sometimes the best strategy is to keep the advantage away from you enemy, even if it doesn't particularly work to your advantage."

"Wisely spoken," Steve said, nodding a little too enthusiastically. Megatron knew the other officers intimidated the Vehicon, and he took comfort in the fact that this fear would stop Steve from betraying him.

At a sharp caw from Laserbeak, Megatron's focus was shifted to his ever loyal soldier, Soundwave. The Decepticon with a hidden face simply pointed towards the river. Turning, Megatron grinned as a groundbridge deposited the very Prime he required.

Of course, he was also accompanied by Arcee, Wheeljack, Bulkhead, Ultra Magnus, and that young and inexperienced teen Smokescreen. Of no surprise to Megatron, Optimus had left his wife back at base. He had never understood why Optimus had felt the need to endlessly protect Ratchet – Megatron's personal opinion about his own wife was that if she died, she had not been strong enough and it would be of no great loss to him. However, the protection the Prime felt for Ratchet did provide a useful means of controlling Optimus, whenever the advantage worked in Megatron's favor.

"Kill them!" Megatron bellowed as the Vehicons hefted up their weapons. "Leave Optimus to me!"

With a sadistic cackle, Airachnid spread her dark purple and black wings and used a quick burst of height to attack Arcee. Starscream, Dreadwing, and several other flyers rose into the air, pulling out their guns to grant the Decepticons air superiority. Soundwave stayed beside Megatron as Steve joined the other Vehicons that were converging on the Autobots.

Megatron slowly walked toward Optimus, knowing his Decepticons would provide him a path. Luckily, they granted Optimus the same path and Megatron was soon face to face with his former friend. Optimus was holding a sword in each hand and he studied Megatron with a neutral face, his blue eyes bright.

Megatron resisted the urge to just shoot Optimus, but instead pulled out his sword. Fighting through transformations was more common among females, and Megatron had learned the gladiator honor of fighting hand-to-hand. Optimus himself believed in this honor, probably because he had witnessed gladiator battles back in Kaon when he had simply been Orion Pax, the young librarian spending time with his friend, the young gladiator Megatronus.

"What is it you are looking for, Megatron?" Optimus asked.

"I have already found it, Optimus," Megatron gloated. "My only grievance is that I cannot retrieve it. An issue of status, I believe."

Megatron knew that Optimus understood what he was referencing – his years as a librarian had granted him a great wealth of knowledge – and he took a delight in the way that Optimus's stoic expression turned surprised as his eyes widened at the realization. Immediately, there was a shift in the battle as the Autobots, probably responding to a telepathic communication from Optimus, began trying to rally towards the cliff where the Star Saber was embedded. The battle was a game of seize and conquer.

An overhead shriek of pain had Optimus glancing toward his left to see Starscream fall from the sky, shot down by Ultra Magnus. Using the distraction to his advantage, Megatron slashed his sword at Optimus. Instincts saved the Prime's life as he deflected the strike and then retaliated with an attack of his own.

The two fell into a pattern of striking and parrying blows, all the while moving back toward the cliff. Megatron allowed this movement because he wanted Optimus to think he was winning; he needed him to be overconfident so that he would be easier to defeat once he had the Star Saber.

 _Should I summon the Insecticons?_ Airachnid broadcasted via the Decepticon telepathic communication.

 _Negative._ Megatron hated those beasts, and he doubted Airachnid's ability to control them as she claimed.

Dreadwing was now engaging Ultra Magnus on the ground, the two generals throwing punches. Dreadwing was using his wings as distractions, whipping them around for no real purpose. The Vehicons ignored them, and instead focused on Bulkhead, who was fighting alongside his son, Smokescreen. Arcee and Airachnid were tangled in a ball of fur and claws as they battled as black panthers. Starscream had rejoined the battle on the ground; one silver wing was darkened by energy blasts, and she was going daggers against swords with Wheeljack, the female Autobot yelling something about how she wished she had a grenade.

Megatron was unable to retain his grunt of pain as Optimus slammed the hilt of one of his swords into his ribs and managed to knock him off his feet. Taking advantage of the opening provided by Megatron's loss of footing, the Autobot leader rushed forward to the golden hilt of the Star Saber. Megatron got to his feet and watched as Optimus dropped his two swords to grasp the hilt and managed, with little effort, to remove the Star Saber from the cliff face.

The silver blade began to glow with a faint blue light. Optimus turned to Megatron, and the warlord suddenly began to doubt that he could steal the Star Saber away from the Prime. Perhaps the ancient weapon wouldn't even allow such a thing. But Megatron was nothing if not determined. He wasn't just going to sit back and not try – that tactic was best left to Starscream.

Megatron, however, was pleasantly reminded of the presence of Soundwave. With the same silence as ever, the former gladiator slammed into Optimus, Laserbeak flapping his wings in the Prime's face to disorient him. As Optimus staggered, Megatron reached forward with a roar and wrapped his fingers around the hilt.

Immediately, there was a bright burst of light and Megatron staggered back, grunting as heat blasted him. He threw up his arms to shield his face, and through a small gap, he could see Optimus stagger back into the cliff. Soundwave took a few steps back from the burst, and Laserbeak cawed as he fell of the ground, his black feathers steaming.

Megatron shook his head, forcing himself to recover quickly. Just as he had feared, the Star Saber had rejected the presence of someone who wasn't a Prime. Looking around the battlefield, he spotted a glint of gold near the river. After double-checking it wasn't Airachnid's head ornament, he began pushing through the Vehicons and few Autobots toward the sword. He could see Optimus trying to make his way toward the sword as well. Soundwave had stopped beside Laserbeak and seemed rather preoccupied with the Mini-Con as he flopped on the ground, steam still curling off his feathers.

Somewhere in the midst of the mass of the battling Cybertronians, someone yelled out in pain, the scream drowning out the other sounds of fighting for a moment. Megatron ignored everything, his only goal to get to the Star Saber before Optimus Prime. His Vehicons were working to slow Optimus down, among them the female with the burned hands and her, most likely, husband. Megatron made it to the Star Saber just as Starscream landed rather clumsily beside him, her daggers held tightly in each hand. A scratch on her cheek oozed Energon and she acted as if one leg was injured, but, judging by the Energon on her blades, Megatron figured that the Autobot Wheeljack had fared much worse.

"Stop Optimus from reaching the Star Saber!" Megatron ordered her.

Starscream did as he asked, intercepting Optimus in a flash of silver and black as the Prime flung the burned female away from him. Megatron knew that Starscream, while an able and intelligent fighter, would be no match to Optimus in a contest of strength and hurried toward the Star Saber.

Megatron was reaching for the hilt of the sword that could be the end of the Decepticons just as Starscream shrieked in pain. Knowing Optimus was unopposed and would be fast approaching, Megatron grabbed the sword. He yelled out in pain as, once it again, the sword disappeared in a flash of light in response to a non-Prime attempting to use it. Unlike the Vehicon, he wasn't burned, but he was sure he had less hair on his arms.

Optimus reached his side and the two leaders looked at each other. Both were unarmed and the sword, the purpose of the battle, had once again disappeared. Optimus and Megatron began surveying the battleground, while Megatron telepathically ordered his Decepticons.

 _Whatever happens, the Autobots do not leave with the Star Saber!_

Megatron finally spotted the sword – at the same time that Optimus did. The two simply caught the last glimpse of the golden hilt as the sword sank into the waters of the rushing river. Megatron was unsure where the river currents led, and even less sure of how far the sword would actually be carried by said currents. Optimus seemed to come to the same realization as the tension in his muscles relaxed as the rush for the Star Saber was given up.

"Decepticons, retreat," Megatron said. He relayed the order telepathically, but had spoken aloud for the benefit of Optimus. The former gladiator loved a good battle, and relished the thought of eventually killing Optimus, but even he knew the fruitlessness of fighting an unnecessary battle where there was nothing to be gained.

Behind Optimus, Starscream pushed herself to her feet and spread her wings. Without hesitation, she followed Megatron's orders and flew off. A black panther sprang up onto the cliff face, but then quickly changed into Airachnid before taking off as well. Soundwave and Laserbeak flew off together, the Mini-Con recovered from the Star Saber blast. Dreadwing and the Vehicon flyers took to the skies, while the Vehicon non-flyers quickly transformed into all sorts of Earth-based animals to retreat.

A few Vehicons remained behind long enough to stay goodbye to their fallen comrades. One such Vehicon was the female with the burned hands. She paused beside the lifeless body of the Vehicon that Megatron thought was her husband.

Megatron meet Optimus's gaze. "This is not over, Optimus. One of us shall possess the Star Saber one day."

"I have no inclination of letting that be you," Optimus told him.

"I would expect nothing less of you," Megatron replied evenly.

He spread his own dark silver wings and flew off, transforming into a harper eagle to make himself a smaller target out of pure habit. He was soon joined by a silver and black kite, whose damaged wing revealed her to be Starscream. On his other side flew a black and purple sparrow, who was no doubt Airachnid. Dreadwing, Soundwave, and Steve had accompanied the Vehicons back to the _Nemesis_.

Megatron landed in a secluded clearing, shifting into his natural form. Starscream and Airachnid followed his lead. Airachnid looked largely unharmed, though she was clearly furious about something. Starscream's black tights had some rips, but her silver dress was still intact. One silver heel was broken, giving her a lopsided look (an accounted for her appearing as if a leg was injured).

"I almost had Arcee, but you called a retreat!" Airachnid cried.

"There will be plenty of other chances to have your revenge on the Autobot," Megatron told her, sending her a glare that warned her to show some respect. "Right now, you have other matters to attend to. Did I not order you to send your Insecticons searching for the Autobot base?"

"You did, Lord Megatron," Airachnid said.

"Then why haven't they found it!" Megatron roared.

"The Autobot base is clearly very well shielded," Airachnid said, trying to pacify Megatron. "And my Insecticons tell me that the Autobots are groundbridging everywhere. Groundbridges cannot be sniffed out like a Cybertronian."

"Then get your best tracking Insecticon and order him to scour every piece of land around Jasper!" Megatron growled. Now that the Star Saber was out there somewhere, the Autobots would be looking for it, which meant that it was all the more pressing that the Decepticons hit them at their very core.

"That would be Hardshell," Airachnid said. She let out a loud whistle.

"What was that for?" Starscream asked.

"It was for summoning the fiercest of my Insecticons," Airachnid said. She smirked as the said Insecticon suddenly erupted from the brush and Starscream flinched.

Megatron looked at Hardshell. He was definitely the biggest Insecticon he had yet to come across. Like all Insecticons, he mostly looked like a giant, well-muscled wolf with shaggy brown fur. Iridescent wings with edges sharp enough to cut buzzed on his back. He claws and teeth were silver and very, very sharp. Megatron noted that Hardshell's left lower jaw was heavily scarred, the skin pink without any fur growing on the scarring. Yellow paint circled each of Hardshell's sunken, red eyes and ran down each front leg.

"Airachnid, stop showing off your beast and give him his mission," Megatron ordered. Frankly, at the moment, other than his size, Hardshell looked no more promising than the other Insecticons Airachnid had sent out.

Airachnid did so and Hardshell flew off with a snarl. At a glance from Megatron, the self-proclaimed Insecticon queen was dismissed and she took to the air. Megatron assumed she was returning to the _Nemesis_ , but, in all reality, he wouldn't be upset if she never returned to the Decepticon warship.

Starscream took a step toward Megatron, but as she stepped forward with the foot that had the broken heel, she abruptly stumbled. Upon recovering, she said, "Why do you keep her in the ranks? You know as well as I do that she is the reason for the upset between Breakdown and Knock Out."

"Be as that may, she was not responsible for the disappearance of Breakdown, nor for the desertion of Knock Out and her son," Megatron reminded his wife.

"She has nothing to offer, except the Insecticons," Starscream continued. "And they have yet to prove to be worth the amount of Energon they consume."

"She is a ruthless killer," Megatron said.

"How long before she turns that ruthlessness against those higher in the hierarchy than herself?" Starscream asked.

"Starscream, it would be in your best interest to stop attempting to have Airachnid removed from the Decepticon ranks." He grinned. "It almost seems as if you feel threatened by her."

Starscream scowled, but then huffed. "I am not threatened by her."

"Then stop your complaining and get back to the warship. I do believe that Steve needs to attend to that wing of yours."

That got the intended reaction that Megatron wanted. So frustrated and fed-up with Megatron, his wife marched off. It was assuming to watch due to her one broken heel. As she flew off, Megatron grunted. Sometimes, he wondered what was it that had initially attracted his younger self to the stubborn Vosian princess.

As it was, he was not the least bit concerned with his relationship, but more concerned with defeating Optimus and his Autobots. The Star Saber had come into play, and that would change the rules, especially if Optimus Prime got his hands on the weapon of the ancients. Perhaps Shockwave could deduce a way to retrieve the Star Saber and store it without having a Prime. Megatron needed to get an advantage, and he would definitely take the advantage of having the location of the Autobot base.

* * *

 **I usually try to post on Friday night, but I drove all night for a Saturday wedding in Texas (and then had a late Saturday night reception after the wedding). Anyway, hopefully I'll be posting on schedule this week. :)**

 **First off, Megatron is incredibly hard for me to write. That being sad, I really enjoy the differing relationship between Optimus/Ratchet and Megatron/Starscream.**

 **I know Breakdown wasn't mentioned except for by Starscream, but I promise he will get his share in a few chapters.**

 **Reviews are, as always, welcome. Thank you to all of those who read and review this story!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Boo-yah!" Smokescreen yelled as the Decepticons fled. He turned to the scowling Arcee, who was standing nearby. "Did you see the way I handled those 'Cons? I'm amazing!"

"Don't get cocky, kid," Arcee warned him.

Ultra Magnus was approaching Optimus, who was walking back from the riverbank. Smokescreen wasn't actually sure what the Star Saber was, and neither did he understand why it was such a big deal that the sword had been lost to the river. Any weapon that the Decepticons didn't have was an advantage for the Autobots, right?

"Optimus, we need a groundbridge!"

Smokescreen stilled, startled by the fear in his father's voice. Twisting around, he spotted his mother lying in the grass. Bulkhead was crouching beside her, pressing his hands to her prone body. Ignoring Arcee's warning to wait, Smokescreen ran over to his parents.

Wheeljack was gasping for breath, a deep gash across her stomach. Energon was staining the white tank top she wore. Bulkhead was pressing down on the wound to help stop the bleeding.

"Don't worry, Jackie," he told her. "Ratchet's going to fix you."

Smokescreen felt sick. His mother was a tough woman; he had known that for all the years of his life. If she wasn't getting up, then the gash must have been really deep. Deep wounds caused more than Energon loss. Often, the internal systems were damaged as well.

Unsure of what else to do, Smokescreen removed his yellow jacket and put it beneath Wheeljack's head as a pillow. She reached out and took his hand, the green bangle bracelets on her wrist jingling cheerily.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "Don't worry about me. I'll recover."

"Mom –"

Smokescreen broke off as a groundbridge appeared. Arcee gently pulled him back as Ultra Magnus bent down of the other side of Bulkhead.

"I'll pick her up and you keep pressing on that wound," the general ordered.

Ultra Magnus, Bulkhead, and their precious cargo went through the groundbridge first, followed by Arcee and Smokescreen. The younger Autobot was glad to have the steady warrior at his side, or else he might have bolted into the base, which very well may have caused more problems. Optimus walked through last, glancing back at the battlefield and collecting Smokescreen's discarded jacket.

Upon entering the base, several things happened at once, which overwhelmed Smokescreen. Knock Out was standing with Jack, Miko, Raf, and Sideswipe on the upper catwalk. Miko started to call out a greeting, but it died when she realized Wheeljack was injured. Knock Out ordered that Jack remain with the others out of the way and then started down toward the ground floor. Ratchet shut off the groundbridge and marched forward, her blue-green eyes glowing with an emotion that suggested that no one get in her way.

"Get her to the med-bay, now," she ordered, turning sharply on her heel toward the med-bay.

Optimus passed by Smokescreen, handing him his yellow jacket. Without a word, he followed Ratchet, Ultra Magnus, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack to the med-bay. Knock Out followed as well. Smokescreen started to, but was stopped by Arcee.

"Maybe you should stay away for a while," she said, surprisingly gentle for her.

"I need to be there for my mother," Smokescreen told her.

"Look, Smokescreen, sometimes it is best not to be around when someone you care about is hurt," Arcee said.

"Wheeljack is going to be fine!"

"That's not what I meant," Arcee said, trying to get her point across. "Sometimes it is just better to remember people as they were, rather than injured and destroyed."

Smokescreen felt a deep knot of worry and anger build in his chest, flaming hot and yet icy cold all at once. "My mother is not going to be like Cliffjumper. She's not going to die." He saw Arcee flinch as he mentioned her dead fiancé, but he didn't stop. "I don't care if the last thing you remember about Cliffjumper is a butchered science experiment, but my mother is not dying and I am going to be there for her."

He turned and rushed toward the med-bay, leaving a stunned Arcee behind him. He hadn't meant to be that harsh, but he was scared for his mother and he had lashed out at her. As he walked toward the med-bay, he dropped his yellow jack among the other articles of discarded clothes in the hallway; Knock Out's red leather jacket (probably so it didn't get any Energon stains on it) and Ratchet's red scarf, which most likely would have gotten in her way while she worked.

Smokescreen entered the med-bay to find Ratchet standing at a berth that Wheeljack was settled on; she had taken Bulkhead's job of pressing on the wound. Optimus and Ultra Magnus were standing out of the way, but ready to help at moment's notice, while Bulkhead stood beside Wheeljack, holding her hand. Knock Out was hooking up an Energon IV to Wheeljack without any hesitation.

"The first order of business is to stop the bleeding," Ratchet said. "Once we accomplish that, we can determine what needs to be fixed internally." Knock Out nodded and began gathering the necessary items. After a moment of hesitation, Ultra Magnus began helping her. At the same moment, Ratchet and Bulkhead noticed Smokescreen's arrival.

Ratchet ignored him, but Bulkhead smiled at his son. Wheeljack, too, attempted a smile, but it turned into a tired grimace. Optimus nodded once at Smokescreen, which he took as permission to stay. Knock Out and Ultra Magnus turned back to Wheeljack, their hands filled with various medical things that Smokescreen didn't recognize.

"Knock Out, you need to –" Ratchet broke off, her complexion paling. With a sort of gasp, she collapsed onto the ground. Bulkhead let go of Wheeljack's hand and scrambled to press on the gash in her abdomen.

Optimus rushed over to his unconscious wife. Ultra Magnus started to as well, but Knock Out grabbed his wrist.

"She's fine. Just a normal pregnancy fainting. Help me with Wheeljack," she said. "Optimus, move her to a berth. Bulkhead, I need you to keep pressing on that wound, but slowly remove your fingers so I can work. Ultra Magnus, I need you to administer that shot you're still holding."

Ultra Magnus looked at the vial and needle in his hand in surprise, as if he had forgotten he was holding it. Optimus, meanwhile, had picked up Ratchet and moved her to another berth until she awoke. Ignoring the two of them, Smokescreen walked over the berth as Knock Out began working on the wound.

"What can I do to help?" he asked.

Without pausing in her job, Knock Out snapped, "Stay here for your mother."

Smokescreen maneuvered around Ultra Magnus and grabbed Wheeljack's hand, causing her to shift her head slightly in his direction. Wheeljack's tan skin was a few shades lighter than Smokescreen's own skin; his skin was perfectly in the middle of Wheeljack's golden tan and Bulkhead's chocolate-colored skin. She smiled at him.

"Don't look so worried," she said softly. "I'm not hitting the dirt just yet. I have to give Starscream a little present." She winced as Ultra Magnus gave her the shot Knock Out had ordered him to.

"A hand grenade?" Smokescreen asked with a smile, knowing his mother's love for all explosives.

"Right down the back of her dress," Wheeljack said. Her words sounded drowsy. She attempted to say something else, but her words were too slurred for Smokescreen to understand. Her eyes closed and her head lolled to the side.

"Mom? Mom!"

"Calm down," Knock Out said. "Ultra Magnus gave her a sedative. Unconscious patients are, like, so much easier to work with."

Smokescreen nodded, relief threatening to make his knees weak. Ultra Magnus took over Bulkhead's job, leaving the Wrecker free to comfort his son. After cleaning his hands, Bulkhead put a hand on Smokescreen's shoulder.

"There's nothing else we can do," he said. Smokescreen wasn't used to hearing such a wise tone from his father. "We can only get in the way. It'll do us some good to walk around."

Smokescreen slowly let go of Wheeljack's hand, placing it back on the berth as gently as possible. As they walked toward the door, he glanced across the med-bay to see that Optimus was helping Ratchet to her feet as she regained consciousness. After shooting what Smokescreen thought was an apologetic, or as close to apologetic as Ratchet got, glance at Bulkhead and himself, she straightened her glasses and started toward Knock Out and Ultra Magnus to help. Optimus followed Smokescreen and Bulkhead.

Once outside the med-bay, Optimus turned toward Bulkhead and Smokescreen. Before he could say anything, Bulkhead spoke up.

"I suppose we have to thank Primus for the arrival of Knock Out." His words were spoken slowly, as if he couldn't quite believe he was saying them.

Optimus's expression morphed into something like guilt – probably on his wife's behave.

"We know it wasn't Ratchet's fault," Smokescreen said quickly. "It was just…one of those things."

"Why don't you two go out into the main bay for a while? You should relax as much as possible while Ratchet and Knock Out work," Optimus suggested. "I'm sure Miko would love to hear about the battle."

Bulkhead smiled a little at the mention of his human charge. Smokescreen didn't really want to brag about his part in the battle anymore. He had noticed his mother fighting Starscream, but he hadn't thought much of it. He should have helped her, rather than continue on with his own petty battles against the Vehicons.

Optimus reached forward and placed a hand on Smokescreen's shoulder. "Wheeljack is in no danger of meeting with Primus. Besides, her lack of respect might very well cause Primus to send her back to us." Smokescreen smiled at this, recognizing the small attempt at humor. "Do try to calm down."

Without another word, he turned and walked away. He didn't reenter the med-bay, nor did he head toward the main bay.

Bulkhead wrapped an arm around Smokescreen's shoulders. "The boss is right," he said. "Jackie has always refused to give up fighting. Besides, there are two medics and Ultra Magnus in there to work on her; she'll be itching for a rematch in just a few days."

"I know, Dad," Smokescreen replied. "That doesn't stop the worry, though."

"Perhaps not, but Optimus was right about trying to calm down," Bulkhead said. "Would you like to tell Miko about the battle?"

"Um, I think you can handle the humans," Smokescreen answered, flashing a small grin. "Just direct Fowler toward Optimus if he shows."

"Ah, he's too busy texting June," Bulkhead retorted.

Together, the two walked toward the main bay. Arcee was still standing in the center, and she gave Smokescreen and Bulkhead an unreadable look as they entered. Smokescreen felt the bitter taste of guilt build up in his throat. Miko, Jack, Raf, and Sideswipe were still up on the catwalk. Ignoring Jack's protest, the Japanese girl ran down the yellow, metal stairs.

"Is Wheeljack alright?" she cried, skidding to a stop in front of her guardian.

Smokescreen slipped his father's arm off his shoulders as Bulkhead told Miko, "She will be, once Ratchet and Knock Out are done with her."

"Momma is a good doctor," Sideswipe called. "She saved Megatron from Cybonic Plague once."

"Would've been nice if she hadn't," Arcee said, glancing at Sideswipe. Luckily, the eight-year-old didn't understand the implications behind her statement. Instead, he had turned his blue eyes to focus on Miko as she flooded Bulkhead with questions.

Smokescreen glanced once more at his father as Bulkhead struggled to comprehend all of Miko's fast-paced questions, and then walked over towards Arcee. She watched him approach silently, the purple ring in her irises appearing to darken. Arcee scratched at her wrist and Smokescreen nervously recalled that she hid her knives in the sleeves of her blue plaid shirt.

"So…"

"I shouldn't have told you to stay away," Arcee interrupted. "Sometimes, it's best for your loved ones if you're there. Wheeljack wasn't in mortal danger. I mean, she was hurt, but she was receiving help and it was very, very, very unlikely that she would have died. I…what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry I tried to get you to stay away. I probably would have stayed away, but I forget that different people feel different than me."

"I'm trying to apologize, and then you go and apologize to me," Smokescreen complained. "That kind of makes it hard to apologize."

Arcee smirked, putting her hands on her hips. "Sorry. Not everything is going to go your way, Destiny's Child."

"I thought I had outgrown that nickname."

"Nope. Now, I believe you had an apology for me."

Smokescreen hesitated, suddenly guilty again. He had done a far worse thing to Arcee than she had. "I'm sorry I was so rude to you about Cliffjumper. I shouldn't have brought the incident back up, and I shouldn't have referred to him in such a disrespectful way. I know it was very hard for you when Megatron experimented on him."

Arcee looked away, but Smokescreen could imagine her pained expression. "I had ahold of his hand, and then…our fingers slipped apart." Smokescreen hadn't been present, but he had heard of the story of how Cliffjumper had fallen from a great height to the bottom of a Decepticon Energon mine to his tragic death.

Perhaps the most sickening part of the whole ordeal was that, at a later date, Ratchet had discovered that Dark Energon poisoning could be reversed. Cliffjumper might have been saved, had he had not fallen. Arcee carried the guilt of his hand slipping from her fingers, and Smokescreen had just managed to accuse her of that deed, however unintentionally.

Arcee looked back at Smokescreen. "Apology accepted. How about we just forget the whole incident?"

Smokescreen managed a smile, relieved that Arcee had forgiven for his thoughtless words. "I think I can live with that."

"Hey, watch me!"

Smokescreen twisted around to watch Sideswipe clamber over the railing of the catwalk. Jack rushed toward him, yelling, "Sideswipe, no!"

Without any hesitation, the boy launched himself off the catwalk. Arcee was already running toward where he would land, snarling, "We don't need any more injuries!" Bulkhead and Miko looked startled as they noticed Sideswipe tumbling down from the catwalk, while Raf and Jack leaned over the catwalk railing with horrified expressions.

Sideswipe let out a gleeful laugh and then changed into a bright red cardinal. With a happy chirp he flapped his wings and flew up into the metal rafters. Smokescreen soon lost sight of the bird in the shadows, but he hoped that Sideswipe had simply landed on one of the rafters.

Arcee huffed in annoyance. Bulkhead and Miko went back to talking, while Jack and Raf began pointing up at the ceiling, as if trying to spot Sideswipe. Smokescreen suddenly realized how much worry he must have caused his parents as a young child, recalling all the mischief he had caused.

"I still don't know how that boy managed to survive among the Decepticon ranks," Arcee said, walking back to Smokescreen. "His parents weren't exactly Megatron's favorite officers, and other Decepticons are punished for such foolish behavior."

"Maybe Megatron likes children," Smokescreen suggested. At Arcee's incredulous glare, he said, "Or maybe Sideswipe is good at running away, like his mother."

"You know, you may not listen to authority very well, Destiny's Child, but you are definitely an ally I want on my side," Arcee said. "You're just like your mother."

Smokescreen smiled at her.

Sideswipe, still in the form of a cardinal, flew down from the ceiling to the catwalk and transformed back into his natural shape. He spread his arms and bowed.

"I'm amazing, thank you," he said.

"An amazing pain in the rear," Jack told him. Then he smiled warmly and ruffled Sideswipe's red hair. With a sound of protest, Sideswipe ducked from under his hand.

Smokescreen remembered several instances in his early childhood when he had ducked away from Wheeljack after she had ruffled his hair. Funny, he hadn't thought of any of those moments in his recent years, too caught up in the thrill of being old enough to actually fight. Now, he really missed those moments.

Knock Out's voice echoed in Smokescreen's skull, her telepathic message relaying her smugness. _I'm amazing, and you're welcome. Wheeljack is recovering. She should be awake soon, should a certain son and husband want to come see her._

Smokescreen grinned and let out a laugh. As he walked toward his father, Ratchet added her own two cents.

 _No other visitors, unless you want to deal with my wrench._

 _Ratchet, threatening your friends is not exactly proper._ That was Optimus.

Smokescreen figured that Ratchet and Optimus continued arguing – no one could tell Ratchet she was in the wrong without getting a lecture – but they either began verbally talking or having a telepathic message just between the two of them.

Bulkhead was smiling wide. "Thank Primus."

"What is it?" Miko asked. "What happened? I hate it when you guys have mind-conversations that I can't hear!"

"Wheeljack is alive," Bulkhead said. "We can go see her."

"I take that 'we' doesn't include me," Miko muttered, crossing her arms.

"Not at this time, Miko, but you can see Wheeljack later," Arcee said. She gave Smokescreen and Bulkhead a gentle shove. "Go. Wheeljack should be waking from the sedative soon."

Smokescreen turned and jogged toward the med-bay. Standing outside were Optimus and Ratchet, clearly in some sort of disagreement, if Ratchet's expression was anything to judge by. Optimus tried to hand Ratchet her discarded scarf, and she waded it up in her fists.

As Smokescreen got closer, he slowed to walk, unwilling to get in the middle of that battle. He'd rather come across an army of Vehicons than a spat between his leader and his medic.

Ratchet threw the scarf at Optimus's chest, and the Prime fumbled to catch it before it fell to the ground. "Look, I'm tried and my stomach is churning, so unless you want upchucked Energon on your shoes, I'm going to go lay down." She turned on her heel and matched off.

Optimus, after a moment of hesitation, followed her. "Ratchet, anger isn't good for the baby."

Ratchet replied in Cybertronian and her language should have come with an R-rated warning label. Smokescreen knew his father and mother would punish him if he ever used a fraction of the words Ratchet had just said. Optimus rolled his eyes, and then silently continued following Ratchet.

Smokescreen was about to open the med-bay door, when it was opened from the inside. Without a word, Knock Out and Ultra Magnus walked out.

Bulkhead had walked up behind Smokescreen, and the teenager twisted around when his father asked Knock Out, "How is she?"

Knock Out replied, "No internal organs were damaged, though it will take a while before all of her abdominal muscles have mended back together, so no heavy work for at least a month. Also, she shouldn't be walking for a few days so she doesn't rip out her stitches. She should be waking in just a few minutes."

"Thank you," Bulkhead said.

Knock Out blinked, looking surprised. Then she grinned, recovering her composure. "I just did my job – mighty flawlessly, might I add. Ratchet helped, when she woke up."

"You did well today," Ultra Magnus told the redhead.

She turned, her ruby eyes flaring in anger. "You mean that I surprised you by actually attempting to save an Autobot instead of killing them like you figured a treacherous Decepticon like me would?"

"I simply meant that you performed well today," Ultra Magnus said. "You managed to hold your own when Ratchet was incapacitated due to her pregnancy."

"Now you're questioning my medical skills?" Knock Out put her hands on her hips. "I was Megatron's personal medic. I was trained by the very same people Ratchet was, and, in case you missed it, I'm just as good of a medic as she is."

"I simply meant…I was just trying to compliment you," Ultra Magnus said.

Knock Out jabbed a finger into his chest. "You should probably learn how compliments work before you go handing out any more." Then she twirled on her heel and marched off, swooping down to pick up her leather jacket from where she had dropped it earlier and putting it on.

Ultra Magnus let out some sort of an exasperated sound, and then he turned and walked in the other direction.

"Plenty of lovers' spats going on today," Bulkhead muttered, walking into the med-bay.

Smokescreen followed him, unsure about what his father meant about lovers' spats. Certainly the argument between Optimus and Ratchet had been one, but Ultra Magnus couldn't stand Knock Out. There was no way he even cared about Knock Out, let alone was attracted to her.

Any thoughts of arguments were forgotten as Bulkhead and Smokescreen approached Wheeljack's berth. Her white tank top had been rolled up past the wound, revealing the bandages wrapping around her torso. Other than that, she looked as if she was sleeping peacefully.

Bulkhead grabbed her hand. "I'm here, Jackie," he said.

Wheeljack groaned. Her nose twitched, and then she blinked open her eyes. The blue orbs had a slightly glazed look, a side effect of the sedative that would wear off shortly.

"So…" She winced as she moved her free hand to lightly feel her bandages. "How long until I can get back out there?"

Smokescreen laughed. Bulkhead said, "Always concerned with fighting."

She smiled at him. "Someone's got to watch you guys' backs."

Smokescreen frowned, thinking of how it was her back that could have used some watching today.

Bulkhead must been feeling the same way, because he leaned over to give Wheeljack a quick kiss (Smokescreen looked away because he had no need to see his parents performing PDA), and then said, "Next time, I watch your back."

* * *

 **Okay, I missed my target day of Friday (United States time, in case some readers are from other countries). Just know that I'll update on the weekend sometime. :)**

 **Also, I really just wanted to explore some more interactions between certain characters...and give Cliffjumper/Arcee some backstory, even though Cliffjumper is not actually in the story. I really enjoyed writing the scene between K.O. and U. Magnus at the end (poor Magnus...he has no idea how women work). Plot advances in the next chapter (sometimes, the plot just needs to rest).**

 **Once again, thanks for reading and reviews are welcome!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Can I get up?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

Ratchet glared at Wheeljack. "You've already had your allowed amount of exercise today. I don't want you to overstress your torn abdomen muscles. You're not getting up."

"Fine." Wheeljack settled against the pillows she had stacked up so she could rest in a propped-up position. "Killjoy."

"I'm going to write up some reports," Ratchet said, a little sharply. "I'll be in the back, so…try not to blow anything up."

"I can't get up, remember? Doctor's orders."

Ratchet rolled her eyes and then walked off with an annoyed groan. Wheeljack had spent the last two weeks in the med-bay, walking around the base whenever Ratchet allowed her. The strawberry blonde was very, in Wheeljack's opinion, overprotective. The female Wrecker figured she could do a lot more walking than Ratchet was allowing, despite the burning of her muscles. No pain, no gain. Wheeljack had even tried convincing Knock Out to give her permission to get off the berth, but the former Decepticon had simply said something about not wishing to anger Ratchet and then had proceeded to ignore Wheeljack ever since (that was a week and a half ago).

Wheeljack had been visited once or twice by Optimus, but he was usually in the med-bay for Ratchet, either dropping off some Energon or forcing his wife to take a break or retire to their room for some sleep. Arcee, too, had stopped by a few times, and Ultra Magnus had come once (which was once more than Wheeljack had been expecting. Her love for doing her own thing and explosives conflicted a little too much with Ultra Magns's disciplined army ideals). Bulkhead and Smokescreen visited often, or walked with Wheeljack around the base.

Raf was in the med-bay often, but he was usually following Ratchet around. Jack and Miko came to visit about every two days, usually asking questions about the Decepticons and Cybertron. June and Fowler had visited her at the same time; June had started asking questions about Cybertronian anatomy, and Wheeljack had directed her to Ratchet, while Fowler had helped Wheeljack plan some revenge on Starscream once Ratchet cleared her for field duty.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the many visits from Sideswipe. The young boy reminded Wheeljack of Smokescreen, back when her son was his age, due to his mischievous behavior. Much to Wheeljack's amusement, Sideswipe loved performing pranks; really, her time in the med-bay would have been insufferable if she and Sideswipe hadn't masterminded some great pranks.

Sideswipe peaked out from around Wheeljack's berth. "Is the angry medic gone?"

"Hatchet? Yeah," Wheeljack said with a grin. "We're lucky that she went to the back and didn't exit the med-bay. Is your mom coming?"

"I told Momma that I needed her," Sideswipe said. "But she didn't respond to that, so I told her that Ratchet would be mad if she didn't show up and then she told me she was coming."

"Smart kid, using your mother's fear against her."

Sideswipe just smiled, his white teeth flashing.

The med-bay door opened and Knock Out walked in, stepping onto the bubble wrap Wheeljack had asked Sideswipe to tape to the floor. As the floor beneath her began to _pop_ , Knock Out jumped into the air. She transformed into a fluffy red and gray cat and landed on top of nearby cabinet.

Wheeljack and Sideswipe laughed, high-fiving. Ratchet walked over from the back of the med-bay. Knock Out swiped a paw down, claws flashing, and hissed; Wheeljack knew this was just so she could express her annoyance, as there was no fragging way that she could have reached anyone from her current position.

Ratchet's expression was one of someone who had seen the last bit of foolishness they could handle. "Knock Out, get off the cabinet. Wheeljack, stop being annoying. Sideswipe, get that bubble wrap off the floor." She leaned forward toward the boy, and added, "You're life would be much easier if you stopped helping Wheeljack create chaos."

"Yes, ma'am," Sideswipe squeaked. Then he turned scuttled off to do as she had ordered.

Knock Out jumped down from the cabinet and then raced over Wheeljack's berth, leaping up beside her legs. She began licking one of her gray paws, purring. Ratchet gave her a look, but the cat ignored her. Wheeljack reached out to scratch Knock Out behind her ears, but she hissed, her red tail fluffing up. She leaped over to the nearest berth and glared as best a cat could.

 _You're lucky I don't have my Energon staff_ , she sent. Wheeljack could tell the message was only for her.

Ratchet sighed. "Idiots, I'm surrounded by idiots." She turned and walked off.

Knock Out watched her go, tail twitching. She twitched her ears and then jumped off the berth, transforming in the same moment to plant her hands on the side of Wheeljack's berth.

"Are you nuts? Ratchet may be a caring person deep down, but she's got a flaming temper, and that temper is only going to worsen due to her hormones. Unless you want to get all of us beamed by a wrench, I suggest you cool it on the pranks," she said in a whisper. Well, at least she wasn't ignoring Wheeljack anymore.

"You're scared of getting a beating, aren't you?" Wheeljack asked.

Knock Out flinched. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"It's no secret that Megatron dishes out beatings. I bet your chirper personality, slight disloyalty, and lack of dedication often resulted in you being under Buckethead's fists. Looking at the trouble Sideswipe causes, I'm betting you took the punishment for that too," Wheeljack said.

"Just don't anger the authorities," Knock Out said. "And watch what you say. Soundwave – uh, anybody could be listening." Wheeljack raised an eyebrow at Knock Out's sloppy recovery. The medic turned away. "It doesn't matter what Megatron did – or does – to his officers. You should just try to keep Ratchet's temper from flaring for her own sake, and the sake of Optimus's sanity."

Wheeljack reached out to grab Knock Out's wrist, her plastic, yellow bracelets digging into Wheeljack's palm. The medic's ruby earrings were glinting, perfectly matching her eyes.

"You probably don't hear it enough from us, but we are very glad to have you here," she said. "And unlike Megatron, no one here is going to beat your for foolishness or failure." She released Knock Out. "However, Optimus and Ratchet do come up with some punishments, when necessary, like cleaning the bathrooms or performing inventory on every object in the base."

Knock Out smiled, and then smirked. "Well, you would certainly be one to know about punishments, wouldn't you?"

Wheeljack put her hands to her heart in mock hurt. "We were having a moment, and then you ruined it."

"So I did," she deadpanned. She started to turn away.

"Hey, can I walk around?"

"Stop talking to me," Knock Out replied. "I have work to do." She walked off, telling Sideswipe to put the bubble wrap in the waste bin and not anywhere else.

Wheeljack stretched her arms above her head, watching Sideswipe do as his mother had told him. Knock Out hadn't said yes, but she hadn't said no either… Wheeljack swung her legs off and the berth and stood. As with the past few days, there was no pain or even mild discomfort from the wound across her abdomen. A discomfort would build up the more she moved, but if it got too painful, she could always have Bulkhead help her back to the med-bay.

Glancing back to make sure Ratchet wasn't paying attention, Wheeljack walked out of the med-bay. Once outside, she became aware of a presence at her side and turned to look down at Sideswipe.

"Are you escaping from the med-bay?" he asked.

"For a few minutes," Wheeljack replied. "Why don't you go see if any of the humans are here yet?"

Sideswipe scampered off, humming an old Cybertronian tune that Wheeljack hadn't heard in years. Wheeljack briefly wondered where he had learned the tune, but then pushed such thoughts from her mind. The thought of Knock Out singing old rhymes to her son was disturbing for some reason.

Wheeljack walked out into the main bay, and was immediately cornered by Optimus. She spotted Sideswipe shooting a guilty glance at her from across the room. She gave him a dismissive wave to let him know she wasn't angry about him telling Optimus.

"I take it your little excursion from the med-bay wasn't exactly authorized," he said.

"Well, it wasn't unauthorized," she replied.

Optimus stared at her. Then he said, "If you're up, you can help me."

"Help you with what, Sir? I'm not exactly cleared to do any hard work yet," Wheeljack answered.

"Authorization has never held you up before," Optimus responded. "But I am not doing physical work. You can help me track the Star Saber."

"Sure," Wheeljack said. She'd much rather be designing a new hand grenade or tinkering on the _Jackhammer_ 's engines, but she'd agree to anything to stay out of the med-bay for longer.

Optimus turned and walked over toward the scanners that Ratchet usually stood at. Smokescreen emerged from one of the hallways, saw her, and ran over.

"Guess what, Mom," he said, falling in step beside her.

"What?"

"Ultra Magnus told me that I've just been promoted to Raf's guardian. He told Ratchet that she wasn't allowed to go to Raf's house anymore, but that she and Raf could hang out whenever Raf was at the base," Smokescreen said. "I actually have real job, off the base! Isn't that great?"

"That's great, Smokey," Wheeljack said proudly. She slugged her son's shoulder, careful not to punch too hard. And it certainly explained Ratchet's extra sour mood today, if she had been told to give her guardianship duties to Smokescreen. It also explained why Ultra Magnus had been holed up in his room since this morning. "I just hope you're okay with Raf's family calling you Rachel."

Smokescreen grimaced. "I forgot that was Ratchet's code name." He blinked. "You think I could convince Raf to call me by my code name, Seth? He could say that Rachel got hit by a car or something and he brought me home instead."

Wheeljack put her hand on Smokescreen's shoulder. "I understand your displeasure with the situation, but I think you should just get used to the name Rachel." She gave her son's shoulder a squeeze before removing her hand. "I have to go help Optimus before he sends me back to the med-bay, and it's almost time you picked up Raf from school and brought him here."

"I can't be late my first day on the job!" Smokescreen cried. He ran toward the exit, where all the vehicles were parked, and then skidded to a stop. "I don't know how to get to the school!"

Fortunately, Arcee and Bulkhead were approaching to go pick up Jack and Miko. Bulkhead and Smokescreen would have it easy, keeping their natural forms as they stayed hidden in their tinted-window vehicles. Arcee had to approach in the form of black cat and sit beside Jack's bicycle, as she'd be noticeable on her motorcycle. Usually, Ratchet sat with her in the form of Rachel, but it seemed as if Arcee would be sitting alone for a while.

"Just follow me," Bulkhead told Smokescreen.

"You really should have asked someone about that little issue sooner," Arcee scolded. "But congratulations on your promotion."

The three of them walked on out of the main bay and Wheeljack walked over to the console where Optimus had been patiently waiting for her. He gave her an unreadable look and then went back to studying an image on the screen.

Wheeljack looked up, recognizing the tectonic plates of Earth in a bright green, while a darker green showed all the water on the planet. Blue blobs and lines represented all the lakes and rivers. Appearing in at least one river or lake on each continent was a white dot.

"What are those dots? They don't represent any natural terrain of Earth," Wheeljack said.

"Not of Earth, no," Optimus agreed. "These white dots represent the coordinates that the Star Saber emits energy from. Ever since it fell into the water during the battle two weeks ago, it seems to be hopping from water body to water body."

"Why does it keep moving? The Saber was in that cliff for some time, I would presume," Wheeljack said.

"The blade moves whenever it is touched by someone who is not a Prime, like when Megatron touched the Star Saber during battle. Of course, it could also burn the individual, but most of the time it moves. I believe it is entirely plausible that the Star Saber, embodied by the power of the ancients, has a sense that movement is safe, so it stays in bodies of water as they have currents. Whenever the Star Saber is touched by some marine life of Earth, as the creatures not Primes, it simply moves to another body of water. Whenever the Star Saber moves, it releases enough energy for our scanners to pick up," Optimus surmised. "Perhaps there is a way to calculate the movement of the Star Saber, if it is truly somewhat sentient as I believe it may be."

"So, you asked me to help you with what exactly?" Wheeljack asked. "You seem to have everything under control."

"I thought your engineering skills could help me formulate an equation to track the Star Saber and maybe predict its movements, should it be touched by Earth marine life again."

"Optimus, I am very honored, but I'm more of mechanic and explosives expert than an actual engineer," Wheeljack responded. "Calculating a formula like you're proposing…I couldn't do that." Truly, she wasn't lying. Give her an engine and she could dismantle it and put it back together better than new, but ask her to perform a math problem and she'd soon blow up the piece of paper just because she could. She didn't know the numbers behind explosives, she just knew a grenade of a certain size would blow up a certain area. "The arithmetic behind such an equation would require someone like –"

"Me?"

Wheeljack started, suddenly very fearful. Optimus simply turned to face his wife, who was giving the two of them a disapproving look, especially Wheeljack.

"The med-bay was just a little too quiet," she said. In other words, Wheeljack was busted.

"I asked her to help me," Optimus said. That wasn't really lying, Wheeljack thought, but he'd only done so after Wheeljack had sneaked out of the med-bay.

Ratchet looked at him. "Of course you did." Her tone indicated she didn't believe him, but, in an uncharacteristic moment of kindness, Ratchet let the subject drop. Instead, she pushed her glasses up and asked, "What math can I help you with?"

"Tracking the Star Saber, predicting where it will appear," Wheeljack said quickly before Optimus could give another long summary.

This time, both Optimus and Ratchet shot her look. Holding her hands up in surrender, Wheeljack backed up a few steps.

"I'm just going to lie down on the couch over here," she said.

Before they could say anything to her, she turned and walked over to the couch. She didn't really need to lie down as her wound wasn't hurting her, but she figured Ratchet would be less likely to send her back to the med-bay if she was lying down. This way, she could be where the action took place…should any action take place.

She settled on the couch and then looked back at console, where Ratchet and Optimus were working side by side. She noted that ever since Ratchet had gotten pregnant, Optimus had become more open about his relationship and love for her. The professionalism he had always tried to maintain around her – leader to medical officer – was slowly degrading into husband to wife. Somehow, Wheeljack thought it made them a better team.

As she watched, Optimus gave Ratchet a quick kiss on the temple. She glanced at him. "What was that?"

"I believe the humans call it a love tap," he said.

Ratchet gave him a light slap to the back of the head. "And that, my librarian, is a love slap."

Optimus huffed. "You're not as funny as you think."

"I never said I was funny."

Wheeljack found herself smiling at the interaction between the couple.

"I see you left the med-bay."

Wheeljack jerked her head around to see Knock Out leaning over the back of the couch. She shifted and set up, and Knock Out set down on the arm of the couch.

"I have a question for you," Wheeljack said. "How does the daughter of a High Council member end up marrying a lowly construction worker?"

Dodging the question, Knock Out said, "The real question you should be asking is how did the wealthiest young woman on all of Cybertron manage to get her heart stolen by a mere librarian." She nodded at Ratchet and Optimus. "For that matter, how did the heir to the Vosian throne fall in love with a ruthless Kaonian gladiator?"

"I remember when Starscream and Megatron got married," Wheeljack said. "But, by that point, everyone was so used to Starscream doing such off-color things that they hardly batted an eye. But Ratchet and Optimus…I remember how scandalous everyone thought that was."

Knock Out nodded. "Second in status only to the High Council, and there she was dating a middle-class citizen. I think the real issue was that everyone on the High Council had been setting her up to marry Pharma…and then she ran off and married Optimus. Romantic, but not politically correct in the eyes of the High Council."

"The messed up politics, with the unfair statuses, is the whole reason for this war," Wheeljack pointed out.

"It was in the beginning," Knock Out agreed. "Then it was about Megatron's greed. Now it's about the humans and whether they should live or not. Personally, I find them very entertaining."

"Are you doing experiments on humans?" Wheeljack asked, only half teasing.

"Of course not! Bloodstains never come out of clothes." Wheeljack couldn't tell if she was joking or not. She hoped that getting bloodstains on her clothes wasn't the only thing protecting humans from Knock Out. But perhaps she should have more faith in the medic who had practically saved her life.

The two set in silence for a while. Finally, Knock Out broke the silence by saying, "You were right, you know?"

"Right about what?" she asked.

Knock Out sighed. "Megatron does punish his officers physically. I was actually never hit by Megatron. I got slapped around once by Starscream, but she's never as quick to get physical as her husband. Most of the time, Breakdown took the punishment for me." It was the first time Wheeljack had heard the medic mention her late, or possibly MIA, husband on her own accord. "As for Sideswipe, Megatron has no patience for children. The only reason he let me keep Sideswipe was because Starscream somehow managed to convince him to. Whenever Sideswipe had done something, I always put the blame on some Vehicon."

"You allowed an innocent to take the punishment?" Wheeljack asked, aghast.

"Not an innocent," Knock Out protested. "I worked with Steve, a commanding Vehicon. Whenever a Vehicon was insubordinate, Steve gave their name to me. I, in turn, gave their name to Megatron instead of Sideswipe's whenever my son caused trouble. I'm sure Megatron knew what was going on, but as long as he got to hit somebody, he didn't care."

"Did he…did anyone ever die?"

"Just two," Knock Out replied softly. "I patched up the rest." She sighed. "I'm not completely heartless, you know."

"I know," Wheeljack said. "You seem rather soft-hearted for a Decepticon. Why'd you choose to side with them, if you don't believe in the harshness that they do?"

"I didn't make the decision," Knock Out said. "Breakdown chose to side with Megatron. I couldn't leave my husband." She looked away, her red hair falling from its bun to shield her face. "Perhaps, I should have."

"Knock Out…"

Smokescreen ran into the room. "I'm Raf's guardian!" Wheeljack turned to look at him as he continued, "I pulled up at the school and told everyone I was Raf's cousin, Seth Wilhelm."

Miko, walking in behind him, laughed, "Which was hilarious, because 'Wilhelm' isn't even a Hispanic name and because Smokescreen being Raf's cousin is like me being Jack's sister."

"Maybe Seth Wilhelm is adopted by Raf's aunt and uncle," Smokescreen retorted.

Raf walked in, looked at Smokescreen and Miko, and then hurried over to where Optimus and Ratchet were working. Wheeljack knew that he would be more helpful than she could have been. Bulkhead walked in next, followed by Arcee and Jack. Arcee was thanking Bulkhead for letting her and Jack ride in with him and Miko instead of riding Jack's bike to base.

Bulkhead turned to Smokescreen and said, "You can get away with being Seth Wilhelm at school, but when you go to Raf's house tonight, you have to be the best Rachel you can be." He gave his son a friendly shove. "Stop pouting, Smokey."

"But I have to pretend to be a woman!" he wailed.

"Are you implying women are not as tough as men?" Arcee asked.

"Absolutely not," Smokescreen said quickly. "Nope. Women are definitely tough. I mean, a man wouldn't be able to survive childbirth and women do all the time. And you're one of the toughest members of this team. And Ratchet is definitely not someone to get in a trivia contest with, because she'd school anybody. And -"

"You made your point," Arcee interrupted. "Make everyone happy, please, and stop talking."

Seeing that her son had been properly dealt with, Wheeljack turned back to Knock Out, but the medic had disappeared.

* * *

 **First off, I'm really happy that I managed to work the word "plausible" into Optimus's dialogue. Second, I totally enjoy writing the interactions between O.P. and Ratch. :) Ratchet has such a temper and understanding of sarcasm, and Optimus just rolls with it.**

 **This turned pretty serious in the aspect of the Decepticon hierarchy and punishments. More on that will be told at a later date. Also, so will the backgrounds for the characters that were mentioned here. The statuses of the characters and what that meant back on Cybertron will be elaborated on as well. (And, yes, Ratchet and Optimus eloped, because what good couple doesn't?) If you like Pharma, he isn't really important to the story, but just some rich guy that young Ratchet was supposed to marry before she ran off with her librarian.**

 **Knock Out and Breakdown's little saga comes to an end in the next chapter. (Is he alive, is he dead?)**

 **Reviews always welcome! Thanks for reading.**


	11. Chapter 11

"You cleared Wheeljack for duty?"

Resisting the urge to groan, Ratchet lifted her head off the couch cushion. She'd been playing some sort of board game with Raf, but somehow she'd ended up sitting on the floor, her arms crossed on the couch cushion and her head resting on her arms. She must have dozed off. Raf was quietly reading a book as he set on the couch, and his eyes darted toward Ultra Magnus for a quick second.

"She's fine," Ratchet said. "Besides, I had to get her out of the base before she could damage Sideswipe anymore."

"To be honest, I believe Sideswipe was damaged when he arrived," Ultra Magnus said. "The same might be said for his mother." Ratchet rolled her eyes, straightening her glasses. The general really needed to make up his mind on if he really liked Knock Out or not. And he definitely needed to stop annoying Ratchet.

Well, perhaps she should be grateful that he was no longer avoiding her. After their lovely little...chat...about Smokescreen taking over her duties as Raf's guardian outside of the base, he had been terrified to come within range of her throwing abilities. To be fair, he had a reason to be wary after their talk; she hadn't expected his ribs to bruise that much from a simple wrench being tossed into his side.

"Is that all you have to say, Ultra Magnus?" Ratchet asked.

"Um...how is Smokescreen handling his guardian duties?"

"Ask the person he's guarding," Ratchet snapped. She bit her tongue before she could add, Duh! She gestured at Raf.

Closing his book, her favorite human told Ultra Magnus, "He does his job well. He picks me up at school, pretending to be my aunt's adopted cousin, and then brings me to base whenever it's reasonable. He performs well at the house, retaining the cover of Rachel, though I think my many siblings annoy him. My little sisters like to corner him and brush his fur, all the while calling him Rachel."

Ratchet moved from the floor to the couch as Ultra Magnus asked, "Do you miss having Ratchet as your guardian?"

"She'll go back to full guardian duties after the baby is born, right?" Raf asked.

"She'll have a baby to take care of," Ultra Magnus stated.

"I have a husband," Ratchet said coolly. "It won't just be me caring for the child. The entire base can help."

"Right, yes. Of course," Ultra Magnus said quickly. He cleared his throat. "That's all for now."

He started to walk away, but Ratchet called, "Do you know where Knock Out is? I haven't seen her all morning."

Ultra Magnus answered, "I believe she is in her room." Then he continued briskly on his way. At least it was away from Ratchet.

She sent Raf a quick telepathic message. _I know I told you to hide the fact you could pick up on our telepathic messages, but, should anything happen, you contact Smokescreen. He can help you just as easily as I can, now._ The only response she got was a nod, but that was all she needed. The psychic link between the two them was strong - nearly as strong as the link she had with Optimus - and enabled them to faintly pick up on each other's emotions. No doubt he sensed her dislike of the circumstances – just as she sensed his impatience for her child to be born (the motives behind this emotion were too tangled for Ratchet to attempt to understand).

Aloud, she said, "I'm going to go find Knock Out. You stay here."

Following Ultra Magnus's directions, she went to the room that had been given to Knock Out and Sideswipe. Luckily for her, the room's only occupant was the very person she wanted to see. Sideswipe had been helping Wheeljack put together an engine part for _Iron Will_ , Ultra Magnus's ship.

Ratchet approached Knock Out. The redhead set on her berth in a 'crisscross apple sauce' position, as Miko would refer to it, her back to the door. The swish of Ratchet's clothing was the only sound in the room as she walked over to her friend. She started to speak, but stopped when she saw the holoimage Knock Out was looking at.

A Knock Out aging in her early-twenties was in the center of the holoimage, with a young Breakdown standing beside her, his arms around her middle. Knock Out looked practically the same in the image as she did now, though a golden choker in the holoimage showed her status off to those who saw her: a daughter of High Council member Avalon. Breakdown, too, looked the same as when Ratchet had last seen him, minus the fact he had two eyes instead of one eye and an eyepatch.

To the left of the smiling couple stood a younger Megatron and Starscream. Megatron looked the same as always, though he had acquired a few more scars and age-lines since the time of the photo. Starscream's mouth was open and her eyes were closed, having been caught mid-laugh. A silver circlet glinting in her raven-black hair revealed her status as the Princess of Vos, due to her one day becoming the head of the House of Vosian Royalty. Her hair was strikingly different, cut short so that it just brushed her shoulders, unlike the hair that went down to her waist now. There were no red-dye bangs covering half of her face.

To the right of Knock Out and Breakdown stood Optimus - Orion Pax at the time - and Ratchet herself. Orion Pax had an arm around Ratchet's shoulders, and he was smiling. The younger Ratchet was smiling as well. Her strawberry blonde hair had been different back then, wavy and extending down to her waist as compared to straight and shoulder-length as it was now. Upon her head was a circlet of rubies, which identified her as a member of the House of the Liaison.

The Liaison had initially been charged with picking the new Prime when the current Prime had gone to join Primus. On the side, the Liaison performed coronations for the Vosian Royalty. Then, centuries before Ratchet was born, Sentinel Prime had ordered the Liaison not to pick a single Prime, but instead thirteen Cybertronians who would rule together as the High Council. The House of the Liaison then became a large political influence and, by the time Ratchet was born, the wealthiest family on Cybertron. All the Elite, the rich upper class, did exactly as the Liaison wanted in the hopes the Liaison would choose them as a replacement member of the High Council when a current member passed.

Ratchet had been the youngest of seven siblings and had somehow been signaled out as the child who needed the most restrictions. Her whole life had been planned out, and then she'd made a few decisions that had ripped her father's plans to shreds.

The holoimage had been taken on a day that represented one such decision. That had been the day that they had received confirmation that the High Council would hear out Orion Pax and Megatron. It was also just a few days before she had married the librarian (perhaps a bit scandalously, as it defied her father, and pretty much the whole High Council, and left Pharma wondering what to do as his ultimate goal had been to marry her).

Ratchet was so lost in thought that she actually started when Knock Out spoke. "The High Council always said that marrying across statuses was bad, and that it should not occur. Perhaps they were right." She pointed at the holoimage. "Each of us married below our statuses and we started a war that destroyed our planet."

"It was not us who started the war, but Megatron. He grew jealous when the High Council named Orion Pax as Optimus Prime and the ruler of Cybertron," Ratchet said.

"Everyone knows the Liaison picks the Prime," Knock Out snapped.

Ratchet wasn't used to seeing Knock Out in such a funk. Usually she was the one in a mood, while Knock Out retained her cheery self-centeredness. "I didn't pick the Prime - the High Council did," she protested. "I was just as surprised as anyone when Optimus became the Prime instead of Megatron."

"When it boils down to it, you're the one who caused this war," Knock Out spat. "Sure, Starscream used her position to get Megatron more widely known and she fed his ambition. I simply used my connections to get Megatron and Optimus a hearing. But you..."

Knock Out turned, her ruby eyes blazing with fire. "The High Council was going to make Megatron a Prime as he had asked, but then you went and married Orion Pax. You were the Liaison, with the High Council themselves alone above you in rank, and now you were married to a lowly data clerk. The Council couldn't allow that, so they had no choice but to promote Orion Pax. What position would make him worthy of union with the Liaison - only that of a Prime. That's why Optimus was chosen over Megatron. If you hadn't married him, then Megatron would have been made a Prime and this war bred of Megatron's jealousy would never have happened."

Ratchet was stunned, but Knock Out had more to say. "Your life was supposed to be simple and luxurious. You marry Phrama, you chose new High Council members when necessary, you crown Starscream as Queen of Vos when necessary, and you work in the Iacon Hospital when you were free. But you threw all that away to marry a man who never should have caught your eye in the first place." Knock Out let out a bitter huff. "The one time you listened to your heart rather than your head, and you brought nothing but death and destruction."

The words of Ratchet's father rang in her ears. If you follow the path you're treading on now, you'll only find a tar pit for you and all those you care about to drown in. The Council doesn't like being defied and Primus punishes those who don't respect their place. An Elite wishing to be of a lower class is just as destructive as a lower class citizen dreaming of becoming an Elite. If you leave here and go through with your plans, you have sealed the fates of everyone you care about - and it will not be fates you would wish upon anybody. She should have listened...she'd watched too many good and innocent people die, and all because Megatron wanted the title of Prime. Had he truly not received the title because the Council couldn't stand a Liaison being married to a simple librarian?

"I'm sorry," Ratchet said to Knock Out. "I..." She turned and walked out. Emotions were not her friends. Her pregnancy had her emotions going everywhere and she was only two months along. It was going to be a long remaining seven months.

Guilt had her stomach churning, or maybe it was a physical symptom of her pregnancy. A little dazed, Ratchet jumped when a strong arm wrapped around her waist. Looking around, she realized she'd wandered into the back of the base where the others rarely went. Optimus had his arm around her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern evident.

Wiping away tears she hadn't realized were there, Ratchet replied, "I think my inability to follow my father's orders caused this whole war."

"Perhaps that was a fraction of the causes," Optimus admitted. "But a very small one, if it even was. We have been through this. The war is hard, yes, but we will survive. We have completed the formula and it is trying to determine a pattern to the Star Saber's movements. Wheeljack is back in the field, and our human allies are strong. Knock Out and Sideswipe have joined our ranks, and our security measures keep Megatron from finding the base." He gave her a look. "You know that I love you, right?"

"That is the one constant in my life."

"I love your intelligence, your compassion - buried deep, though it may be - and your stubborn streak. The streak that made you refuse to just marry and be a happy wife to some guy you didn't like, the streak that makes it nearly impossible for me to win an argument." He twisted around in front of her. "I love you, no matter what faults or wrongs others accuse you of. I love you, and I already love our child."

Ratchet closed the distance between her husband and herself. "I love you, no matter how stoic and unfeeling others perceive you as. I love you, and I can't wait to meet our child."

"They will be perfect," Optimus whispered.

Then he kissed her. A proper kiss, with his arms encircling her to keep her close. Ratchet felt those negative emotions Knock Out had stirred up leaving, melting in the warm feelings of love and comfort.

* * *

Miko was starting to regret telling Bulkhead not to worry about picking her up from detention. In instances like this, Bulkhead drove to the empty garage next door to her host parents' house. He then transformed into the green lizard her host mother was currently calling Bruce – she kept changing the name every week – and then climbed up the wall and into Miko's room. Miko would then walk home from detention.

But tonight, she was being followed. She glanced over her shoulder as the Nevada sun sank, seeing the large man there again. A large hat hid most of his face and his form was mostly hidden by a dirty trench coat. Something about the way he moved seemed oddly familiar to Miko, but not the type of her familiar that made her feel relaxed or safe.

Just to make sure she was truly being followed, Miko took several detours away from the areas of town that people would visit. Still, the man followed her at a lumbering pace, staying just far enough back the Japanese girl couldn't make out much about him.

She pulled out her cell and called the base. Ratchet answered on the fifth ring. "Agent Fowler, I thought I made it clear that you were to call Optimus's private line from now on."

"This is Miko."

"What do you need, Miko?" Ratchet asked.

"I need you to contact Bulkhead through that mind-speaky thing you guys do," Miko said. "I'm being followed by someone." She glanced back, but the dark figure was still mostly hidden.

"Where are you?" Ratchet said.

Miko looked around. "Um…I think I'm near where you guys found Knock Out. I wouldn't know, considering I wasn't invited."

"Who's following you?" Ratchet asked.

"I don't know." Miko gasped as a sudden wind blew the hat off the man and she glimpsed a flash of yellow. "I…I think it's Breakdown."

"Breakdown?" Ratchet choked. There was jostling on her end of the call. Her voice quieter, as she wasn't talking to Miko, she snapped, "Get back, Knock Out. I'm trying to get a confirmation." She said to Miko, "Are you sure?" Before Miko could answer, Ratchet was yelling at somebody at the base, "Watch Knock Out!"

When Ratchet was silent, Miko decided she was waiting for her answer. "It certainly looks like Breakdown." She'd stopped walking and the man was slowly approaching her, one yellow eye bright in the dying light, while the other was covered by a patch of darkness that must have been an eyepatch. "His head is shaved, though."

Miko watched Breakdown as he approached. It was definitely the same large man who had used to fight alongside the smaller and quicker Knock Out. Another gust of wind rippled the mud-coated dark blue trench coat and Miko noticed something extremely odd about Breakdown.

"He looks…robotic. You guys don't turn into robots, do you?" she asked.

"Don't think so," Ratchet replied.

"I think…if Knock Out was telling the truth, I think M.E.C.H. did something. How long until Bulk gets here?"

"I've already contacted him. He should be there in just mere moments," Ratchet informed her.

"I'd really like it if he'd hurry," Miko said, starting to walk again as Breakdown was getting too close for comfort.

Before she hung up, she heard Ratchet yell, "Where's Knock Out? I told you to watch her, Magnus!"

Miko threw her pink cellphone back into her pocket and took off at a brisk walk. She thought that running might make Breakdown rush her down, like a cheetah suddenly powering after a gazelle. If Bulkhead knew that she was comparing his old archrival to a cheetah, he'd probably laugh.

All thoughts of laughing left Miko's mind as Breakdown disappeared in a flash of swirling green light – a personal groundbridge – and then he reappeared in front of her with another groundbridge. With a scream, Miko turned and ran, attempting to put distance between herself and the Decepticon. Before she could run very far, Breakdown reached out and grabbed her shoulder and then threw her down onto the ground. Rolling over, Miko looked up into his emotionless, yellow eye.

With a yell, Bulkhead rushed from the darkness and tackled Breakdown. The two muscular men rolled across the ground. Miko jumped to feet as Breakdown threw Bulkhead off him. The Wrecker was quick to get back to his feet. Breakdown slowly pushed himself to his feet and Miko gasped, her hands covering her mouth, as the dark blue trench coat slipped off his shoulders.

Breakdown was dressed in a pair of jeans and hiking boots, his chest bare. A large metal apparatus had been sunken into his chest, the rest of his torso marred by red, angry scars. Miko suddenly realized that there were thin streaks of metal across Breakdown's scalp. With the same blank expression he had had the entire confrontation, Breakdown pulled his large hammer from his back.

"Get him, Bulk!" Miko yelled.

She really needed to learn to stop yelling. Bulkhead turned to look at her ever so slightly and Breakdown struck, slamming his hammer into Bulkhead's chest and sending the chocolate-skinned man tumbling to the ground. Miko knew that, as a Cybertronian, Bulkhead could survive blows like that with barely a bruise, but he still needed time to recover. Breakdown turned to her, his single eye glowing darkly.

With lumbering steps, he approached her. Miko stood frozen, glancing at Bulkhead as he forced himself to his feet behind Breakdown. Devoid of any emotion, Breakdown raised his hammer, looking down at Miko.

At that moment, a female's voice shattered the quiet. She yelled a single word.

"Breakdown!"


	12. Chapter 12

Breakdown froze. He turned his head, and Miko did as well. Standing there, red hair falling from her bun in large clumps, was Knock Out. She was breathing hard, her chest heaving, her ruby eyes focused on her husband. She was clutching her Energon prod so hard her knuckles were white.

Bulkhead rushed forward, trying to take out Breakdown while he was distracted. Before he could however, Breakdown rushed toward Knock Out. Bulkhead skidded to a stop beside Miko and watched with her as Knock Out lifted her Energon staff, the prod cackling to life.

At the last second, Knock Out spun around, using the handle end of the staff to push Breakdown past her like he was a charging bull. Breakdown turned back toward her, hammer raised. Knock Out hefted her staff yet again. The two paused, staring at each other. Knock Out looked like she was struggling not to scream, while Breakdown was emotionless.

Knock Out lowered her staff. "Don't make me hurt you, BD."

The muscles of Breakdown's face twitched. His eye flooded with recognition. "Knockey."

"It's me," Knock Out said, dropping her staff altogether. "I thought…I thought you were dead."

"I should be," Breakdown growled. He began slowly lowering his hammer. "I am not…"

Miko jumped as Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack ran over, startled by their arrival. Bulkhead sighed in relief, but then tensed as Breakdown went blank again. Knock Out yelped as he shoved her down and lifted his hammer. With an eerie silence, he rushed toward Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus, who responded by pulling out their weapons.

Knock Out was quick – Miko had heard rumors that she was a member of a subdivision of Transformers known as Velocitronians, who were the speedsters – and she put herself between Breakdown and the other two Autobots.

"Hit me, if you dare!" she yelled, clenching her fists.

Breakdown shuddered to a stop and looked down at her, horrified. "Knockey…I could have killed you."

"But you won't," Knock Out insisted. "You would never hurt me or Sideswipe."

"Sides? How is my boy?" Breakdown asked. Miko was startled by the fatherly tone in his voice.

"He's fine and happy," Knock Out said. "He actually knows how to control his transforming now. No more turning into a fish for no reason and when he's nowhere near water."

Breakdown dropped his hammer with a pained yell and put his hands on either side of his head. When Knock Out took a step forward in concern, he pushed her back. Recovering, Breakdown looked around.

"I can't be here," he said. "I'll hurt you."

"What happened?" Knock Out asked. She closed the distance between them and lightly ran her fingers over the scars. She frowned was she traced the areas where flesh met metal.

"I don't remember much…"

"What do you remember?" Knock Out whispered. She continued looking at the unnatural intrusion in Breakdown's chest, and Miko thought she was looking more horrified every second.

"Airachnid was blaming us for something, some failed mission. You knew Megatron was going to punish us, so you insisted we leave. We came here…and then, M.E.C.H. showed up," Breakdown said slowly, struggling to remember. "I told…I told you and Sides to hide. And then…M.E.C.H., they got me. They didn't get you?"

Knock Out shook her head. "The Autobots took us in. They'll welcome you as well."

"I've tried to kill them before."

"And I haven't? BD, they'll welcome you. We…we can all work together to figure out what M.E.C.H. has done to you," Knock Out insisted.

"They've made me a monster," Breakdown choked out. He tensed, clenching his fist. "I can barely fight them off."

"What do you mean?" Knock Out asked.

"These…things enable them to control me," Breakdown said. "My love for you managed to break the control…but they're recalibrating. Soon…I'll kill any Cybertronian or Cybertronain-allied human." He glanced at Miko as he said the last part, and the Japanese girl could see the pain in the yellow depths of his eye.

"We can help you," Knock Out repeated. "We can reverse whatever M.E.C.H. has done to you. Ratchet and I can work together. We both have medical enterprise and Ratchet is an engineer."

Breakdown shook his head. "M.E.C.H. can't be undone. Removing the –" he gestured at mess of his chest "- will only extinguish my Spark. The…thing doesn't stop working unless my Spark is extinguished."

"Removing the device will kill you, and the device only turns off when you're dead," Ultra Magnus said slowly. "That is a terrible ultimatum." Wheeljack punched his arm, her expression signaling that the general better shut his mouth and stop his words.

"We can still try," Knock Out cried. She reached to put her hands on Breakdown's face. "You can't give up on me, BD."

"Oh, Knockey…" With a yell, Breakdown sank down to his knees, harshly shoving his wife away from him. He reached for his discarded hammer, but Knock Out crouched down, grabbed the hammer and threw it away. Breakdown lunged forward, like he was going to choke her with his bare hands, but then he collapsed onto his hands and knees, breathing hard.

When he had recovered, he accepted Knock Out's hand and together they stood. "I can't fight it much longer. I can't feel pain. You'll all be danger."

"Don't you leave me," Knock Out gasped, clutching Breakdown's hands in her own.

"I can overload the device by groundbridging," Breakdown said. "If I aim for Cybertron…"

"Stop it! You're not killing yourself!"

"Knockey, you always told me that you believed the Autobot way of self-sacrifice for the good of the majority. I'm being the Autobot you always wanted me to be." Breakdown spoke softly, warmly.

"No. That's not what I wanted!" Knock Out cried.

Ultra Magnus began approaching the couple from behind. Breakdown glanced at him and Miko thought the exchange between them was weird. Breakdown looked as if he was silently asking the general to look after Knock Out. When Ultra Magnus nodded, Breakdown actually looked relieved, as if he was putting Knock Out's protection in good hands.

"Tell Sideswipe that he'll grow up to be a strong and decent man I'd have been proud to know," Breakdown said quickly. "He gets his determination from his mother. I love you, Knockey." He gave her a kiss on the temple. "You have to be strong. Never let anyone tell you aren't worth it, because you are. You are the most beautiful woman in the universe, Knock Out, but you never needed anyone to tell you that."

"No…No," Knock Out stammered as Breakdown gently pushed her away. She started after him as he took a few steps back, but Ultra Magnus wrapped his arms around her. She screamed, kicking, as Breakdown put even more distance between himself and the others.

"If I'm lucky, I can get a glimpse of Cybertron before I go," Breakdown whispered.

Knock Out cried. She weakly elbowed Ultra Magnus's chest, sobbing for him to let her go.

"Tell Silas that he can rot in the Pit," Breakdown said.

He was encompassed into a self-generated groundbridge. For a second, his whole body seemed to glow with white light. Then, everything collapsed upon itself with a loud implosion. Miko stared, stunned. She'd always thought of the Decepticons as heartless killers. After the defection of Knock Out and Sideswipe, she'd decided that redheaded Decepticons were actually nice. Now, she was beginning to think that every Decepticon had the capability to love and care for others. After all, had not Megatron married Starscream? Perhaps at one point there had been love between the two of them.

Knock Out jerked herself out of Ultra Magnus's arms and spun around to face him. She held her chin up and wiped away her tears, removing all evidence of her outburst. "I'm going back to base."

"I'll accompany you," Ultra Magnus said.

For once, Knock Out didn't argue. She just turned and trod of, Ultra Magnus at her side. Wheeljack jogged over to Bulkhead and reached out to put a hand on his cheek, as if to reassure herself that her husband was alive and well.

"I'd do the same if I had been in Breakdown's position," Bulkhead whispered to her.

"I know," Wheeljack replied. "Which is why we're going to punch Silas in the face so he can never do that to anyone again."

"Go back to base, Jackie," Bulkhead said. "I have to take Miko home."

Wheeljack nodded. She looked at Miko. "Look after him for me, will you?"

"I will protect him," Miko promised.

Wheeljack smiled. Then she turned and transformed into a white jackrabbit. With a quick flip of her fluffy tail, she was gone.

Bulkhead put an arm around Miko's shoulders and the two began walking back to Miko's host parents' house. Miko stayed silent, subdued by the sacrifice she had just witnessed.

"Do you think he made it?" she asked.

"He said a trip that far would kill him," Bulkhead replied quietly.

"No, I mean, do you think you managed to see Cybertron?"

"I don't know," Bulkhead admitted. "But I hope he did. Everyone deserves a bit of closure before they leave the physical world."

For once in her life, Miko didn't have anything to say back.

* * *

Knock Out felt numb. She'd lived believing Breakdown was dead for so many weeks...but somehow it was worse having it confirmed. And he'd been alive, right there in front of her. Warm, his hands holding hers...and then he was gone.

She wasn't sure who to curse. Perhaps Primus, for his lack of mercy. Perhaps Airachnid for chasing them off the _Nemesis_ that night. Perhaps M.E.C.H. for experimenting on her husband (oh, yeah, definitely them). A part of her even wanted to lash out at Breakdown, for refusing to let her try to help him.

"Momma?"

Knock Out looked down at Sideswipe. He stared up at her with big, blue eyes. She was suddenly aware of Optimus talking to the humans and Arcee, of Bulkhead speaking to Wheeljack and Smokescreen, of Ultra Magnus standing beside her. She couldn't afford to lose her composure, not in front of these people - not in front of her son.

"Watch him," she told Ultra Magnus, walking away.

She barely heard the general's soft reply. "Of course."

Ignoring Optimus's analyzing look and Wheeljack's concerned glance, Knock Out went to where she knew Ratchet would be. The strawberry blonde was in the med-bay, sitting on a stool with her elbows on the counter as she looked at the very same holoimage Knock Out been earlier. Without a word, she pulled a stool up next to Ratchet.

"Can you believe any of us were ever that happy?" she asked.

"We knew we were playing with fire when we started messing around with politics and statuses," Ratchet replied. "We should have expected to get burned."

"Except we ended up diving into a raging wildfire, with no escape. Or did you forget the war that left our home barren?" Knock Out snapped. "That was the second planet I've seen destroyed. My family fled to Cybertron from Velocitron after the planet's sun died."

"I know the story," Ratchet said. "And trust me - I have definitely not forgotten the war or its consequences." She sighed, putting the holoimage down, picture-side hidden. "I think it's time we stop rolling around in the embers of this fire and find some water to put it out. Perhaps the flames can be stopped before too many are burned."

"Breakdown said I was beautiful," Knock Out sobbed, finally crying. She hurriedly wiped at her tears. "I always get such a horrible red color when I cry!"

Ratchet put her arm on Knock Out's shoulders. "I'm sorry. Breakdown shouldn't have gone out like that. I can't image what it feels like to have lost him." She looked away. "Actually, I can imagine it'd feel as awful as if I'd lost Optimus…"

"I'm sorry, too!" Knock Out wailed, ignoring Ratchet's last statement. "This war can't be blamed on you."

"The High Council brought about its own downfall when it created such strict divisions among the citizens of Cybertron," Ratchet said. She gave Knock Out's shoulder a hesitant pat.

Knock Out turned to hug Ratchet. "I want to be good friends again. I should never have become a Decepticon! I just need you to be my friend again!"

Ratchet wrapped her in a hug. Knock Out was startled to realize Ratchet was crying as well. "I'll be so close to you, we'll be like sisters," she promised. "The whole team will be your friends."

Knock Out realized that was true. For the first time since the war started, she felt as if she could truly let her guard down. She could actually trust everyone else to support and protect her. She could give up on some of her self-centeredness for others (but not all, because she was still the most fashionable and most beautiful Cybertronian ever).

Ratchet and she cried, holding each other. Knock Out cried for her breaking heart and a son who would never again see his father. Ratchet cried for her friend's pain and for a corrupt government that had been overthrown, but at much too high a price.

Knock Out broke the hug, wiping at her eyes. "My makeup isn't waterproof." Her voice sounded broken, even to herself. Ratchet graciously made no comment as she removed her glasses to wipe away her own tears.

Replacing her glasses, she said, "You will make it through this, Knock Out."

"Of course I will. I'm surrounded by biggest group of empathetic idiots in the universe," she said, managing sarcasm. This earned her a grin from her friend.

"Ratchet, I -" Confronted by the two women's equally disapproving glares, Optimus stopped mid-sentence and held up his hands. "Sorry to ruin the moment." He pointed at the door. "I'll just leave now."

As he left, Knock Out said, "So, the awkward librarian still exists somewhere in him." She cackled with joy as Ratchet swatted at her. "I'm glad to be a part of this family."

"Family?" Ratchet asked.

"Darn that Optimus Prime. His stupid sentiments are rubbing off on me!"

Ratchet still just looked at her. Knock Out let her mind drift, deciding that the heart shattering loss of her husband would not incapacitate her. She was not Starscream, unable to adapt to changes, and she was not Ratchet, who tried to hide her pain behind a facade of temper. She was Knock Out, the daughter of High Council member Avalon, the woman who didn't know the meaning of the word 'ugly'...unless it was directed at someone else.

She knew she'd feel the pain for a long time, but she'd survived this long and she would not let this send her crumbling down. Heck, she'd managed to survive having an office in the Decepticon cabinet. She knew that she had many support pillars in the forms of the other Autobots and humans, until she was able to stand on her own. Besides, her friend was going to be a mother in seven months' time and Knock Out didn't trust Wheeljack to have any actual great parenting advice. She was definitely going to be the kid's awesome and flamboyant aunt.

Knock Out realized Ratchet was still staring. "What are you thinking?"

"If this is a family, it is one messed up one."

* * *

 **Please don't hate me if you like Breakdown! A main point of the story is how a group of people can become a family of choice, so I had to include the three things that bring families together: joys (Optimus and Ratchet are having a baby, yay!), challenges (Decepticons/M.E.C.H.), and grief (I'm so, so, so sorry Breakdown *sobs*)**

 **I posted two chapters tonight because this scene was so long, I had to split it up. I also apologize for not posting on the weekend, as I was sick all weekend. (Get a flu shot, people...it'll save you a lot of pain)**

 **Also, more backstory for the politics! If I were to write a sort-of prequel about the main characters and how they shook up the political world and made themselves rebels of the High Council, would anyone be interested? I already have the plot drafted, should anyone be interested!**

 **Review! (Don't quite reading because Breakdown died - I promise Knock Out will get her happy ending)**


	13. Chapter 13

"Optimus, come quickly!"

Jack looked up from where he had been working on his math homework. Beside him, Miko jumped to her feet in excitement, while Raf gave up on his reading of _Frankenstein._ Ratchet was standing at the console, with Knock Out beside her. Yesterday, Miko had sworn that Ratchet, now about three months along, was starting to show, and today the medic was dressed in a loose-fitting white shirt so it was impossible to tell.

In the month since Breakdown's selfless sacrifice, Jack had noticed a change in the way the others treated Knock Out. Arcee was less wary, and Wheeljack had somehow befriended the vain medic. Sideswipe was usually with Wheeljack, who was teaching him the arts of pranking, or with Ultra Magnus, who had stepped into a fatherly role for the eight year old, maybe because his real father was gone. At the moment, Sideswipe was standing with Smokescreen, and the two young Cybertronians had been debating what type of vehicle Smokescreen should get now that Fowler had decided Smokescreen was old enough for one.

And there was a change in Knock Out as well. While still very uppity about her appearance and clothes – Jack was willing to bet that part of her personality was coded into her very genetic material – she was more attuned to others and their needs. Ratchet was furious because Optimus and Knock Out were now teaming up against her, forcing her to rest, or fussing over her health and mental state. Of course, no one had ever really been able to tell Ratchet what to do, which was why she had been watching the monitors.

At Ratchet's cry, Optimus was quick to emerge from the back. Sideswipe and Smokescreen rushed over as well, but were quickly shooed back by the handle end of Knock Out's Energon prod, though Jack doubted she would ever actually use the live end on anyone who wasn't threatening her (On that note, Leland "Silas" Bishop of M.E.C.H. might have his head removed by a saw, if Knock Out got her way…and, really, her anger was justified).

Ultra Magnus and Arcee appeared as well. Bulkhead had been attempting to help Miko write her English paper about the history of the United States – Jack doubted the grade would be good, considering Bulkhead had told Miko that the USA had been founded by a man named Gregor Washerwhites – but he left the three human children to get closer to the action. Wheeljack had been sitting on the catwalk, legs dangling down, due to the lack of things needing to be blown up, but now she was hurrying down the metal stairs.

"What is it?" Optimus asked.

"That Star Saber," Ratchet replied.

"Did the formula work?" Wheeljack asked. When Ratchet and Knock Out nodded, she pumped her fists in the air. "Yes!"

"The formula has finally managed to recognize a pattern to the Saber's movements," Knock Out said, "and has determined where the Star Saber is now."

"It is actually a very complex pattern. Perhaps the Star Saber harbors more sentient capabilities than we previously thought," Ratchet mused. "I mean, it must be sentient enough to recognize a Prime."

"Look, that's all great and cool sciencey stuff, but where's the Star Saber?" Arcee asked. Jack grinned, knowing his guardian disliked science so much because it was above her level of comprehension. Really, he marveled at the things that Ratchet and Raf were able to do due to their intelligence and understanding of science.

"A body of water on a different continent," Knock Out said vaguely. "I, uh, actually didn't read the data that closely."

"Loch Ness," Ratchet supplied, giving Knock Out a disapproving look.

"Oh cool!" Miko gushed, jumping. "Do you suppose that the Loch Ness monster is an alien? Maybe it's a Cybertronian who transformed into a beast and never left Earth."

"I don't think any Cybertronian would voluntarily stay here for his entire life," Ultra Magnus said. He had the decency to look somewhat ashamed as practically everyone in the room shot him glares.

The two that hadn't were Optimus, who was studying the data, and Ratchet, who was watching Optimus. Knock Out had glared at Ultra Magnus, but was quick to look away.

"Dude, try to learn how to be nice," Miko told Ultra Magnus. "Whether you like it or not, you guys are stuck here on Earth with us, which means you have to learn to love us eventually."

"They do make good food," Bulkhead said.

"Especially June," Arcee agreed. "But don't eat anything Fowler prepared."

"I think I'll bake a cake for Fowler, and then put a bomb in it," Wheeljack said. When everyone gave her looks, she added, "Not a real bomb. Like a confetti bomb. It'll be funny."

"Jackie, let's not do that," Bulkhead said.

"Why not?"

"Well, uh…"

"You don't have an answer, do you?"

"Yes, I do," Bulkhead protested. "I just need time to think of it." Wheeljack rolled her eyes at her husband, but it was obvious she was just teasing.

"Sorry to interrupt your lovers' spat, but we need to retrieve the Star Saber before it moves again," Optimus said, though he didn't sound particularly sorry. "We should split into groups, in case the Star Saber moves to its next location, which is –"

"- Venice, Italy –"

"- that way the second group can go to the second location should the Star Saber move before the first group apprehends the sword in Loch Ness," Optimus finished. Jack thought it was kind of amazing how in tune Optimus and Ratchet were that they could just insert words into each other's sentences without batting an eye. He wondered if his mother and his father, Jason Darby, had ever been that close.

It had always seemed strange to him that June had kept the name of her ex-husband, but then he had learned it was because she wanted to share the same name as Jack, who had been born before they divorced. June had said it would be weird if people called her by her maiden name, Klock, and then Jack by his father's name, Darby. She'd rather just keep her ex's name, and the legal system seemed totally fine with that.

"Can we go with?" Miko asked, gesturing to herself and Jack, though Jack didn't remember being particularly interested in going.

Optimus looked at her, but turned to Bulkhead as he said, "The chances of the Decepticons showing up are pretty slim. They don't have the formula. It'll basically be a search-and-retrieve mission."

Optimus blinked, his expression blank. Then he rumbled, "Group one will be led by me. I'll be accompanied by Bulkhead, Miko, Arcee, Jack, and Knock Out." The Prime looked around. "Ultra Magus, you will lead the second group. You'll be with Wheeljack and Smokescreen. Ratchet and Raf will stay in the base to help with communications."

"Uh, Boss, our group doesn't have a Prime. What do we do if we have to get the Star Saber?" Wheeljack questioned.

"Simply locate the Saber and guard it until my arrival," Optimus ordered. "Ratchet, activate the –"

The groundbridge swirled to life and Ratchet smirked at her husband. "Done."

Optimus gave her a nod. Miko scampered over to Bulkhead, who told her to let him go through the groundbridge before he did. Jack walked over to Arcee, who grinned at him.

"Do I get a weapon this time?" Jack asked.

"Not a chance," Arcee replied. "June would kill me if she knew I was letting you play with weapons."

"She let me play with knives when I was four," Jack said.

"You mean you stole the knives from the kitchen when she wasn't looking," Arcee corrected. "She absolutely freaked and took the knives from you the second she realized what you had done." Arcee grinned. "June has lots of embarrassing stories about your childhood."

"Blackmailing people is rude," Jack pouted. "Besides, I don't know anyone who can give me dirt on you."

"That's because I don't have any embarrassing stories," Arcee stated.

"You, peasant people, Optimus is leaving," Knock Out interrupted. "Are you just going to stand there all day?" Without waiting for a response, she turned and marched after Optimus, who was disappearing into the groundbridge.

Bulkhead followed her, Miko bouncing excitedly just behind him. She loved getting to work with her guardian. Arcee starting walking, rearranging her gold headband to her keep her black hair out of her face, and Jack fell in beside her.

They stepped out onto a grassy hilltop. Just beyond them, the land sloped quickly and treacherously, turning into white rock. At the base stretched the deep abyss known as Loch Ness.

"Do you think there's really is a monster in those waters?" Miko asked no one in particular.

"Raf's the one who is always on conspiracy websites. Maybe we should ask him," Jack replied when the Cybertronians did not.

"We need to get down this slope," Optimus said. "Be careful while climbing. The rocks may crumble."

Knock Out shrugged. "Meet you at the bottom." She transformed into a scarlet ibis, which Jack and the others had discovered was her go-to bird transformation, and then soared down toward the dark water, wings extended in a glide.

"You know, that would be the fastest and safest way to get down," Arcee said.

"Hello, humans here. We can't transform!" Miko cried, gesticulating wildly.

"Time is of the essence," Optimus said. "The longer the Star Saber is in the water, the more likely it is to move. Bulkhead and I will go down and join Knock Out, while Arcee will accompany the human children as they climb down."

When no protests were made, Optimus transformed into a russet-colored hawk with piercing blue eyes and white splotches on his chest and then flew down after Knock Out. Bulkhead shifted into a cowbird and flapped after his leader. Without a word, Arcee started toward the steep slope. Jack and Miko followed her.

"You think Optimus would be upset if I called him 'Godfather'?" Miko asked as they started down the slope. It wasn't vertical, but they needed to use their hands as well as their feet to keep from just sliding down, especially as the grass disappeared and the slope turned into plain rock.

"Does he know that means he's a mafia boss?" Jack retorted.

"Hmm…I suppose that he's not much of a mafia boss," Miko relented. "That's more of Megatron's thing, don't you think?"

Arcee added her input. "I doubt Lord Megatron would appreciate being called Godfather."

"Why is he called Lord Megatron?" Miko asked.

"She has a point," Jack added. "I mean, Starscream is known as Princess Starscream. Shouldn't Megatron at least be Prince Megatron? And, since Starscream's parents are dead, why are they not King Megatron and Queen Starscream?"

"Though Starscream's parents are dead, there wasn't a Liaison to perform a coronation, so Starscream was never made a queen. As for Megatron, I think he just likes the sound of Lord Megatron," Arcee responded.

"Why wasn't there a Liaison to perform Starscream's coronation?" Miko asked.

"Because Queen Blazing Star and King Sonicscream died when the war began and the Liaison was an Autobot," Arcee said.

"What is the Liaison?" Jack asked. He'd heard of the Vosian Royalty that Starscream was a part of and of the High Council, but not of a Liaison.

"The Liaison family was the wealthiest family on Cybertron," Arcee explained. "The Liaison crowned the Queens of Vos when it was necessary and handpicked the members of the High Council."

"So…who was the Liaison when the war started?" Jack asked.

Before Arcee could respond, gunshot rained down from above. The humans and single Cybertronian ducked as best they could as Airachnid appeared above them, wings flapping. She grinned.

"Fancy meeting the Autobots here!" she crowed, discarding her gun. She pulled out instead something much more dangerous – a dart gun that fired acidic bolts that melted through flesh in mere seconds.

Arcee looked at Jack and Miko. "Get back to where Ratchet dropped us off. She'll open the groundbridge again!"

Without any hesitation, the two began scrambling up the slope. Miko slipped and skidded, and Jack just barely managed to grab her and stop her descendent. When she had recovered her footing, they began climbing again. Below them, Jack could hear Airachnid and Arcee clashing; the battle was dangerous, on such a steep slope, and Jack knew that Airachnid had the advantage thanks to her wings. He feared for his guardian, but he didn't turn to look back down, knowing doing so would only jeopardize his own health, which would in turn jeopardize Arcee's.

As the two neared the spot where the slope evened out, in a flash of bright silver, Starscream appeared above them. Jack was almost startled by how fierce and beautiful the Decepticon SIC looked, her silver wings spread to their full wingspan, the sun behind her. The wind tugged at her silver dress and black hair just the right way, her silver circlet glinting, so that she looked like some actress out of a Michael Bay movie – perfect in spite of the death-defying action.

From her waist belt, she pulled out her two large knives, the large rubies embedded on the end of each handle gleaming. The dyed bangs that covered the right side of her face gave her a serious look. For the first time since he had known the Cybertronians, Jack could suddenly see Starscream as a queen. At the moment she didn't look like the weak creature that bent and groveled at Megatron's feet, but rather as someone who answered to no one but her own mind.

She made eye contact with Jack and he froze in spite of himself. Her expression was full of…regret? Before Jack could decide, Starscream launched herself off the slope, twisting in midair to fly over the humans and down the slope. Jack assumed that other Decepticons had appeared to fight with Optimus, Bulkhead, and Knock Out down at the bottom.

"Why'd she let us go?" Miko asked.

"Doesn't matter. Just go!" Jack said, shoving her to get her moving. In truth, he was just as stumped by Starscream's sudden change of character. It was no secret she disliked humans, so why had she helped them by turning a blind eye? Or did she have a larger plan?

He was distracted as he slashed his palm on a rock. He hissed in pain, looking down at his hand as blood oozed from the two-inch long gash. Luckily, it wasn't deep and would just sting for a few days. Jack continued after Miko.

When they reached the top, Miko grabbed Jack's hand (the uninjured one) and the two ran together toward where the groundbridge had dropped them off. As they neared, a groundbridge roared to life.

"Hope it's ours," Miko gasped out as they dashed through.

They immediately slammed into Ultra Magnus and staggered back. Ratchet walked over and Jack realized that his mother and Fowler had arrived at the base while they had been out. Sideswipe and Smokescreen, standing on either side of Wheeljack, watched with wide eyes as Ratchet turned to Jack and Miko.

"Do we need to go help the others?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"No," Ratchet said. "Knock Out just contacted me. They're almost to the groundbridge. Magnus, stay there to make sure a 'Con doesn't come through. Jack, Miko, move out of the way."

Jack moved over to the side, releasing Miko's hand, and she followed him. June walked over and looked at his hand. After telling him to put some peroxide on the cut, she said nothing and watched the groundbridge. Ultra Magnus realized Ratchet was still standing beside him and moved to place himself between the open groundbridge and the pregnant woman.

Knock Out came through first, Energon staff still in hand, and her red hair chopped unevenly. She was throwing all sorts of curses at Starscream, who Jack figured was responsible for her new haircut. Then Bulkhead came through, followed by Arcee. She had a hand clamped on her upper arm, but she winked at Jack to let him know she was okay. Finally, Optimus came through and everyone simultaneously tensed and relaxed when they saw the Star Saber on his back.

A single shot came through the groundbridge just as it closed. The bolt hit the handle of the Star Saber, sending it skidding across the floor as Optimus stumbled. Without thinking, Jack dove toward the blade, intent on stopping it. He had forgotten that only Primes were to touch the blade without consequence.

At the same time, Optimus recovered as the groundbridge closed. He had the same goal as Jack and reached toward the blade as well.

Ratchet gave out a single cry of, "No!"

Jack wrapped his fingers around the Star Saber at the exact same time Optimus did. Immediately, his body felt like it was exploding, fire burning through his very veins. He screamed – or maybe it was Optimus. Jack's entire world flushed to a blinding, bright white. Then, his body felt like it was freezing. Jumbled voices that Jack didn't recognize raced through his mind.

With a terrible nauseating feeling, Jack felt his body thaw. He was looking into the face of an older mustached man who was welcoming him to his first day on the job. For a second, Jack was confused. Then, his mind was flooded with emotions, thoughts, memories, and information that weren't his own. The mustached man – his name was Alpha Trion, some part of Jack knew – asked Jack what his name was.

Jack didn't know, not really. But the body, or perhaps soul, he had hijacked did.

"Orion Pax."

* * *

 **I'm really excited for the next chapter! At this point, the humans are ignorant to Optimus Prime once being Orion Pax, so Jack is in for a surprise as he accidentally steals memories that aren't his (#preview)**

 **I just had to throw that reference in about the Bay movies. I really do enjoy the movies, but it has always annoyed me how the main female characters - Mikaela Banes, Carly Spencer, and Tessa Yeager - always are wearing perfect, fashionable outfits with perfect hair and makeup as they run away from explosions and other deadly things. (My computer is telling me Mikaela isn't a word - I gotta get the dictionary on this thing fixed).**

 **Also, Starscream...well, she's a complicated character that's been slated, but she's about to come back.**

 **Oh, I do not own the Godfather franchise.**

 **Reviews are always welcome!**


	14. Chapter 14

Jack struggled to comprehend what was happening. Some part of him - the Orion Pax part - continued the conversation with Alpha Trion, while Jack struggled to understand what had happened.

Perhaps the Star Saber had killed him and now he was a ghost hijacking some poor person's body. Except that Orion Pax and Alpha Trion sounded suspiciously like Cybertronian names, and Arcee had made it clear to Jack that Cybertron was barren and incapable of supporting life. This had to be in the past, which meant Jack had actually hijacked the memories of a Cybertronian named Orion Pax, whoever that was.

Orion Pax finished his conversation. His excitement for his first day of work mingled with Jack's own confusion and fear at the happenings. Jack hoped that he would be able to tell his own thoughts and feelings from those of Orion Pax as the Cybertronian's thoughts flooded through Jack's mind.

The world turned into a murky, gray fog, leaving Jack - or maybe he was Orion Pax - standing in mere nothingness. Then, the world solidified, but with completely new surroundings - a new memory, then.

Jack would have jumped when he recognized the three Cybertronians standing before him, but Orion Pax hadn't jumped in past so he was unable to. Orion Pax's knowledge identified the three, but Jack didn't need the Cybertronian's knowledge.

The one in the middle was definitely Megatron. Younger, less angry looking, but definitely Megatron. He looked as if he would actually be a fun guy to hang out with. Standing to his right was Soundwave, face still covered by a visor. On his shoulder perched the Mini-Con Laserbeak, but he was now in the form of a Cybertronian bird Jack didn't know the name of. Orion Pax did, however, and Jack quickly dismissed the information. The person to Megatron's left was a younger Starscream. She stood tall, clearly full of a confidence that seemed to have burned away in recent years. Her hair was vastly different, cut short so that it just barely brushed her shoulders. Her full face was in view, and she stood in a relaxed position, leaning her shoulder against Megatron's. Jack was surprised by this, but Orion Pax was not, providing background knowledge that Megatron and the Princess of Vos were in a relationship.

"So, Orion Pax, do you think you could help me prepare my speeches?" Megatron asked. He even sounded younger than Jack's Megatron.

"I would be glad to help," Orion Pax replied. "You'll have to start small, though."

"I will," Megatron promised. "I'll give a couple of speeches after I win my next few matches, and then I'll move to bigger audiences."

"That should work," Orion Pax said. "Politicking takes time."

"That it does," Starscream agreed. She gave a Megatron a kiss on the cheek, and he responded by wrapping an arm around her waist as she added, "But I can help you get some bigger audiences once the librarian thinks you're ready."

Jack was so stunned by the fact that Megatron actually used to love Starscream that he nearly missed Orion Pax say, "My name is not Librarian."

"Whatever, Librarian," Starscream said, rolling her red eyes. But she was smiling, and Orion Pax knew the particular twitching her wings were doing signaled amusement. Jack was even more stunned that Starscream used to be capable of doing more than frowning and sneering.

The gray fog came again, and when it cleared, Orion Pax was looking at a woman with strawberry blonde hair that tumbled to her waist in natural waves. She was wet, but holding an umbrella which Orion Pax had just given her. Her glasses still dripped rainwater. A crown of rubies rested upon her head.

Rain continued to fall from the gray skies overhead, the loudest sound in the area. Orion Pax and the woman were the only two outside facing off against nature.

Jack didn't really know who the woman was, and neither did Orion Pax, as he simply knew her as the very likely next Liaison. Jack suddenly recognized the woman, even as Orion Pax finally supplied him with a name. Wait, Ratchet had been from the wealthiest family on Iacon?

"So, I'm off work tomorrow afternoon," Ratchet said, speaking just a little slowly.

"I know of a good place to eat," Orion Pax said quickly. Jack could feel Orion Pax's surprise at her wanting to meet with him again. "We can meet here."

"That works with me," Ratchet said, smiling broadly. Her blue-green eyes were practically shimmering. "See you tomorrow, Orion." She turned and walked away, though she threw one more smile over shoulder.

When she did, Orion Pax smiled back and waved at her. Jack could tell that Orion Pax was still confused on why Ratchet wanted to meet again, but he was glad at the chance to see the young woman again. The majority of Orion Pax's thoughts, however, were focused on the fact he had just given away his only umbrella and it was supposed to rain all day.

Jack found himself submerged in the gray fog. Unlike the previous times, the world didn't solidify into a new scene; instead, Jack found himself glancing snippets of Orion Pax's life, his emotions flooding through Jack.

He saw – through Orion Pax's eyes – Orion Pax being taught by Alpha Trion the politics and history of Cybertron, especially the Primes. He felt the respect Orion Pax had for the elderly man. He saw brief interactions with Starscream, Knock Out, Breakdown, Soundwave and a few people Jack didn't know but Orion Pax did – Jazz, Elita-One, and Ironhide. There were negative interactions with a man named Pharma and another man, the Liaison, named Sharptack, both of whom seemed upset by Orion Pax's relationship with Ratchet.

Jack saw all the times that Orion Pax worked with Megatron to help the gladiator prepare a speech that expressed his ideas in an intelligent and non-offensive way. He saw Megatron teaching Orion Pax how to fight, saw Megatron tell Orion Pax that a sword would be the best hand-held weapon for him. Orion Pax was the one who suggested they advocate the return of the Primes to throw out the caste system, as the throwing out of the Primes had created the caste system. Megatron thought he would make a great Prime, as long as Orion Pax and Starscream acted his advisors, which they both agreed to be. Jack could feel the kinship between the two and he knew that Orion Pax had not had a better friend than Megatron. He knew could feel that Orion Pax had every absolute trust and belief in Megatron.

And then there was Ratchet. Jack could see her opening up to Orion Pax. He felt the way that Orion Pax was connecting to her, the way that he was immensely pleased to meet a woman who could match him in intelligence – and then surpass him. Jack saw Orion Pax teaching Ratchet how to use weapons – which was a major disaster at first, but slowly she began improving, her skill soon matching his. Jack felt the way that Orion Pax's blood boiled with anger and something just as violent but more warming as Ratchet's family fell apart around her, leaving her alone in the world. Then, Jack suddenly found himself locked in a memory.

The background came to him from Orion Pax. Ratchet had never seen anything beyond the city of Iacon, and Orion Pax wanted to show her the world. He'd taken her to the Crystal Gardens at Crystal City. When Jack entered the memory, it was nighttime and the two were standing beneath peculiar crystals. They made Jack think of weeping willow trees, except they were completely made of pink, glowing crystal. Streams of bright blue Energon rushed around the "roots" of the crystal weeping willows. Ratchet was holding Orion Pax's hand and she turned to smile at him. Jack was attuned to Orion Pax's emotions, and he knew that Orion Pax was deeply in love with Ratchet. And Jack felt the moment that Orion Pax realized that Ratchet felt exactly the same way.

Suddenly, Jack was lost among the fog again. Left to his own thoughts, he realized just how confused he was. These relationships were the relationships that Optimus had…so why was Jack currently possessing a Cybertronian named Orion Pax. Unless Orion Pax was –

The fog cleared again, and Orion Pax immediately informed Jack that this was the day that the High Council was listening to Megatron and Orion Pax's suggestion of disbanding the High Council and returning to the time of the Primes. Halogen, the main speaker for the Council, was talking.

"We have considered the pros and cons as you have presented them to the High Council. And, given your presentation and dedication, along with support from the Vosian Royalty and the current Liaison, we have decided to do as you ask and reinstate the Primes."

Orion Pax and Megatron shared triumphant looks. Orion Pax was relieved that the speech he had prepared was well-prepared enough to convince the Thirteen High Council members.

"The High Council has picked the new Prime," Halogen continued. After a pause, he said, "Orion Pax, the honor of becoming the new Prime of Cybertron falls to you. From this moment on, you shall bear the name Optimus Prime."

Jack felt like he was only getting snippets of the moment. Ratchet was there – she was now Orion Pax's wife, having run away with him to Yuss to get married to avoid being forced to marry the less than pleasant Pharma – and Starscream, screaming about how Megatron had been cheated. And Halogen was dead, shot down by Megatron.

Megatron was snarling at Optimus. "I was supposed to be Prime. You are not my friend! Not anymore! You have brought war upon you followers and yourself because of this theft. My Decepticons will wreck the land until I am rightfully named Prime as was decided among friends, among brothers." He threw his arms into the air. "Choose a side, Cybertronians. And choose the stronger side."

"Megatron, don't do this," Optimus pleaded. But it was too late, Jack knew. And Optimus did as well, for Jack could feel the way that Optimus was slowly realizing there was nothing he could do to stop this madness in Megatron. At least not today…he could try to make Megatron see reason at a later date.

The scene changed again, though it was still the same setting and the same day. The Decepticons had set off Energon fires as they left, rendering the lower exits unusable. The remaining Cybertronians – who would one day become Autobots – were on the balcony, heading toward the balcony exits as blue flames roared beneath them. Optimus, however, was held up by an older man who was pointing a handgun right at his chest.

"You…you ruined everything," the man – his name was Sharptack, Jack was suddenly informed – said darkly. "You corrupted my daughter, made her throw everything way. You must pay."

Ratchet was suddenly there. "Father, no!" She shoved him, just trying to throw off his trajectory. But she's forgotten just how close to the edge of the balcony they were.

Optimus surged forward, hands reaching out. Jack felt his shock. Ratchet steadied herself quickly and, together, she and Optimus reached for Sharptack. But they were too slow. With a yell, he fell into the flames. Ratchet screamed and then covered her mouth with her hands. Jack knew that Optimus knew that she hadn't had a good relationship with her father, that it was simply the shock of someone dying in front of her that had caused her reaction.

Optimus grabbed her and together they exited, running away from the flames and the shadow that was Sharptack. He would not be the last person they would see die before them; he wouldn't even be the last person who would die at their hands.

The scene changed again. The war had been ongoing for some time, and Cybertron was a barren wasteland. The Energon sources weren't producing enough Energon to sustain life. A groundbridge – or spacebridge, Jack figured – was screeching. Several Autobots had already made it through, but Optimus was still standing there with Ratchet. Her hair was cut to the shoulders, straight, having been damaged by fire during an explosion. The Decepticons were coming, but they'd be a while.

"You can get away," Optimus said.

Ratchet grabbed his hand, a little forcefully. "I'm not leaving you!"

Jack knew that Optimus wasn't going to argue with her. He felt Optimus's secret gladness that his wife refused to leave his side. Together, they jumped through the spacebridge, only to crash rather ungracefully onto Earth.

The memories came quickly, now jumbled. Jack was almost lost in the feelings and memories of Optimus Prime.

Optimus and his small team – Ultra Magnus, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Smokescreen – were joined by Arcee and Cliffjumper. Fowler began working with them, proving that humans could be compatible to Cybertronians. Cliffjumper was lost. The team was joined by Miko, Raf, and Jack himself, and then later June.

For the first time, Jack saw himself and his two companions through the eyes of Optimus Prime. Optimus saw Raf as the child he had always secretly wanted – and now he was going to be a father, but he would never quite viewing Raf in such a way. Miko reminded Optimus of Ratchet, as both were stubborn in their own ways and neither was willing to conform. Both enjoyed the bending the rules, though the difference was that Ratchet bent the rules of society, while Miko bent all the rules. And Jack…well, Optimus saw himself in Jack. He saw young Orion Pax, who was no one. And then he was Prime. Optimus believed that Jack had not tapped into his full potential, but when he did, he would be a powerful individual capable of changing the world – or worlds.

Jack was lost in the fog, and his brain felt muddled. With a sharp twinge of pain, he realized he was no longer hitching a ride in the mind of Optimus Prime. Slowly, everything that was Jack Darby began to return to him. Sounds returned to his ears, and, as he blinked open his eyes, sight returned as well.

With a sob, June hugged him tightly, pulling him up into a sitting position. A little stunned, Jack looked at his hands, surprised to see that there were no burn marks, despite having grabbed the Star Saber. He returned his mother's hug, moving a little sluggishly. He was so shocked by what had happened, by the way he had perfectly meddled with Optimus. Some addled part of Jack's brain thought, Like drift-compatibility in _Pacific Rim_.

Optimus! Jack turned, looking for the Autobot leader. June relaxed her hold just enough to allow Jack to move with ease. She was still too choked up to properly speak. Fowler was standing behind her, and Miko and Raf looked relieved to see Jack was okay.

But Optimus wasn't. Ratchet and Knock Out were crouched down on either side of the prone Prime's face. Ratchet had her hands on either side of Optimus's face, while Knock Out was pressing her fingers into his neck, checking for a pulse.

Ratchet screamed something, almost hysterically. Jack couldn't understand her. At the same time, Knock Out reacted violently, yelling at Ultra Magnus to get her Energon staff. Bulkhead wrapped his arms around Ratchet and yanked her back, out of the way. Having been handed her staff, Knock Out turned to Optimus and the live end crackled to life, arcs of electricity sizzling in the air. The entire room was filled with a terrible tension, and Jack knew it wasn't him everyone was currently concerned about.

Finally, Ratchet's scream made sense to Jack's ears.

"He's not breathing! He's not breathing!"

* * *

 **This was so much fun to write. I didn't go too deeply into the interactions between the characters here, as I will be writing a prequel/companion story that goes into that, but I put in enough for this story to make sense.**

 **I hope the chapter wasn't too confusing. I tried to make it very clear that Jack was literally living Orion Pax/Optimus Prime's memories - or just getting impressions of his life.**

 **Sorry about the cliffhanger, but there is a good chance ya'll won't have to wait until weekend for a new chapter. :)**

 **Reviews always welcome - and thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

Optimus saw Jack diving toward the Star Saber. Concerned that the human boy would only injure himself, Optimus made a lunge for the glowing blade. Only after had he made contact with the sword did he realize that the Star Saber could very well just disappear again if Jack touched it.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Optimus registered Ratchet yelling out a warning. "No!"

Immediately, pain seared through Optimus. He opened his jaws, but he wasn't sure if he made a sound. Someone screamed in agony – maybe Jack, he thought in an addled way – and then Optimus felt himself collapse onto the floor of the base.

He felt a presence beside him, a presence he knew he could always count on, even at the worst moments. The presence spoke his name, concern etched in her voice.

"Optimus!"

But Optimus felt his mind slipping. Some part was saying he should recognize the woman who was speaking, but he didn't. She spoke again, but her voice was distorted and didn't offer any comfort as it had at first.

Feeling weightless, he found himself lost in a silvery fog. He felt a tug at his very core, and Optimus was suddenly whisked into a life that wasn't his. He – or the person he currently was – blinked young eyes up at the Nevada sun. As Jack played out in the yard with his toy motorcycle, ambulance, and semi – all of which reminded Optimus of Arcee, Ratchet, and himself – June and a man Optimus had never seen walked into the yard.

Young Jack smiled broadly, glad to see his parents. Optimus figured that the tall man with dirty blond hair and dark green eyes was the erstwhile Mr. Darby. Little Jack didn't understand the conversation, but Optimus, hitching a ride in Jack's memories, did.

"Jason, you can't keep doing this. It's against all morals!" June cried.

"I can't help the fact that my employer demands me to do such tasks," Jason replied curtly.

"Then quit," June said.

"I can't," Jason told her.

June blinked. "You like it, don't you?" When Jason didn't respond, she said, "Get out of my sight. And don't come back."

"June…"

"I don't want Jack being influenced by you. Get out!" June yelled.

Without another word, Jason walked over to the car, backed out of the driveway and then drove away. Jack ran over to June.

"Where's Dad going?" he asked.

June looked at her son. Optimus, more mature than the boy in the memory, recognized the way that June was hiding away her pain.

"It doesn't matter, honey," she said.

"When is it coming back?"

"I don't know," June told him. She ruffled his hair. "How about we play with your cars?"

"Mom, I don't have a car," Jack told her. "I have an ambulance, and a motorcycle, and a semi – but not a car."

Optimus knew that Jason wouldn't come back. And after three months, little Jack would stop asking about his father. He would eventually just conclude that he and his mother were better off without Jason Darby.

Optimus was back in the silver fog. He could sense Jack's emotions. He sensed the way that Jack strove to make his mother proud. He was all June had and he wasn't going to let her down. He sensed that Jack was still trying to find his place in the world, discover just how much of a change he could make.

When the silver fog cleared again, Optimus witnessed the meeting of Jack and Arcee through Jack's eyes. With agile leaps and flips, Arcee was attacking two Decepticon Vehicons, her golden knives flashing. She turned to yell at Jack, telling him to run. Jack shooed along the stunned Raf and two boys escaped down a sewer drain even as Wheeljack and Bulkhead arrived to help Arcee.

Then, a time skip must have occurred, because Optimus-Jack was facing Arcee behind the school. She was leaning against her motorcycle, glaring at Jack.

"Your safety is exactly the reason that Optimus Prime has requested your presence," she was saying.

Optimus could feel that Jack was starting to just give up. At this point, he was willing to agree to anything, as long as the scary woman with knives stopped glaring at him. Both Arcee and Jack turned, startled, as Miko skipped over.

"What are you waiting for? Go with!"

Another time skip, because Jack was staring in surprise at the Autobot base, having walked from the entranceway where the vehicles were parked. Raf and Miko were on either side of him, while Arcee and Wheeljack, having been the one to pick up Raf, behind them. Ratchet was looking at them from the computer consoles, looking particularly displeased. Bulkhead, Smokescreen, and Ultra Magnus were walking over from one direction, while Optimus himself walked over from the other.

As the memory-Optimus made introductions and gave a briefing, Optimus felt Jack's impression of the team. He was at this point a little wary of them, having not come yet to trust them. That would come later. But he was beginning to see that, despite being aliens and with vastly different abilities and cultures, they were human in all the ways that counted.

"Arcee, you will be Jack's guardian," memory-Optimus was saying. Jack turned to smile at Arcee, and she gave him a hesitant wave. Their bond would come later. "Bulkhead, you will watch over Miko." As Miko danced happily, memory-Optimus and Ratchet exchanged a series of silent looks. In the end, Ratchet rolled her eyes and huffed, but she didn't protest as memory-Optimus said, "Raf, your guardian will be Ratchet."

The silver fog came once more. Optimus felt disorientated, living a youth vastly different from his own. Then, the world solidified and Jack was talking to some redheaded girl Optimus didn't know. Jack's mind quickly informed him it was Sierra Mason.

"So…uh, hi, Sierra," Jack said.

"Oh, hey, Nick," she said.

"Actually, it's Jack."

"Right. Jack Dougy, right?"

"Darby."

"Oh, do we have any classes together?" she asked.

"Not really," Jack muttered. Optimus felt his confidence failing as Sierra continued to make him feel even smaller by not even having a single idea of who he was. "Guess I'll be seeing you around, Sierra," he mumbled, walking away.

Optimus almost felt sad for Jack. In the end he didn't, but that was only because that while Optimus could sympathize with Jack, he had had the much harder task of getting Ratchet to fall in love with him. He'd liked her from the beginning, but she'd definitely taken her time warming up to Orion Pax. Now, he knew that nothing could ever make her deny the way she felt for him – and that went for him as well. Jack was dealing with the typical girl-crush, not the way-out-of-your-league-crush that Optimus had had to deal with, plus an I-hate-all-people-attitude in the very same woman.

The fog came again and then one more memory came. Jack and Miko, hand-in-hand, were scrambling up the hillside in Ireland, trying to reach the groundbridge. Starscream was there and then she wasn't. Jack cut his hand, and Optimus felt the pain on his palm as if he had been there and really done that.

Blinking open his eyes with a groan, Optimus looked up at the Autobots surrounding him. Knock Out was standing over him with her Energon staff, the live end crackling. When she saw he was awake, she quickly twirled her staff away. However, she'd forgotten just how close to the others she was standing and the staff hit Ultra Magnus. With a cry, the general collapsed to the ground.

Flinging the now off staff away, Knock Out turned to Ultra Magnus with a quick cry of, "Magnus!"

Optimus started to sit up, noting that his palm was still hurting, when Ratchet was suddenly beside him, flinging her arms around him. Optimus grunted.

"I can't breathe," he said.

Ratchet pounded a fist into his chest. "You weren't breathing, you stupid…" Unable to find a strong enough cuss word, she simply resorted to hugging him again. Optimus returned the hug, and then he realized that his palm was cut. He must have grabbed the Star Saber by the blade.

Optimus put his chin on top of Ratchet's head so he could look at the others. Knock Out and Sideswipe were crouched beside Ultra Magnus, waiting for the general to wake up. Wheeljack, Bulkhead, and Smokescreen were all standing huddled together, looking at Optimus with relieved looks. June, her arm on Jack's shoulders, was holding Fowler's hand, smiling in relief. Raf and Miko were standing beside them. Arcee was standing right on the other side of Jack, looking just as relieved as everyone else.

"The Star Saber?" Optimus asked.

"Sitting right beside you," Ratchet said. She pulled back from the hug to look him in the eye. "And it better be worth it." She leaned forward again, this time to whisper to him, "What happened? I felt something go awry with your mind through our psychic link."

"Tell you later," Optimus promised her, also whispering.

Optimus began to stand, and Ratchet helped support him after a moment of indecision. He picked up the Star Saber and held it in his uncut hand as he wrapped his other arm around Ratchet. She was alternating between glaring at him and smiling uneasily in relief. One eye was starting to look greener than the other, giving her a shattered look.

"We are victorious," Optimus said. "The Star Saber, forged by Solus Prime in the heart of a living star, recognizes me as a true Prime." He noted at the humans. "And I am glad to see that our friends are unharmed as well."

"So...what do we do with the sword now, Boss?" Wheeljack asked.

"I will put it up until we have need for it," Optimus said. "I doubt there will be any danger of the Decepticons stealing the Saber, between them not knowing where our base is and only a Prime being able to wield the blade."

June cleared her throat. "It's getting late. Why don't we all return home? Miko and Raf, you are welcome to get permission from your parents to stay at my house. Bulkhead and Smokescreen can stay as well."

Fowler murmured a quick goodbye to June as she started to walk toward her car. She paused, however, when Miko ran up to Optimus and flung out her arms. She managed to catch both Ratchet and Optimus in her hug.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said.

Raf joined in the hug as well. Optimus thought it was a testament to how much Raf meant to Ratchet when she reached out and gave his hair a ruffle. Jack simply gave Optimus an awkward wave, but Optimus could tell he was just as relieved. Fowler saluted Optimus, which was the equivalent of a hug from the government official.

Miko and Raf broke the hug and walked over to June and Jack. Optimus turned to watch Wheeljack and Fowler as they departed; when he turned back, the other humans, plus Arcee, Bulkhead, and Smokescreen, had left the main bay. Knock Out and Sideswipe were still crouched beside the prone Ultra Magnus. Knock Out reached out tentatively and then, losing all hesitation, slapped the Autobot SIC's face. It proved to be of no avail, as Ultra Magnus didn't even groan.

Feeling Ratchet tremble, Optimus turned to her. "How about you go to the room? I'll be there shortly." He knew something was off when she didn't even argue or comment, but just walked off.

Optimus started toward the entranceway. As he passed Knock Out, he asked, "Were you going to shock me?"

"I was going to in order to revive you, but then you woke up," she said.

"But you shocked Magnus, Momma."

"Hush up, Sides."

Moving on, Optimus was pleased to see the departing party still in the entranceway. He called to Jack and, after exchanging a look with his mother, the juvenile human walked over. Optimus stared at him for a bit, and an uneasy tension filled the air around them.

"I saw your memories," Jack blurted after the silence dragged on just a little too long.

"I saw yours as well," Optimus told him. "I suppose we know more about each other than we ever thought we would."

"Yeah..." Jack cleared his throat. "Optimus, how many people know that you still cling to the hope that Megatron will shake off this madness and revert to the person he once was?"

Optimus decided to answer truthfully. "Ratchet for sure. You know I could never hide anything from her." This earned him a smile from the boy. "And I think Ultra Magnus has his suspicions, though he does not know for sure. I am also quite certain that Starscream secretly has the same wish."

"Yeah..." Jack sounded thoughtful, and Optimus wondered just what trail of thought he was hounding in his mind. "Mom's waiting on me, so..."

"We can talk whenever you want to," Optimus told him.

Jack grinned. "Thanks."

As he walked back to his mother's car, Optimus returned to the main bay. As he walked past Knock Out, her son, and her patient, Ultra Magnus woke up.

"You shocked me!"

"It was an accident," Knock Out protested. "I didn't know you were there."

"You should have been paying attention."

"You shouldn't have been standing that close to me."

Rolling his eyes, Optimus hurried out of the room before they drag him into the argument.

The last thing he heard was Ultra Magnus question, "Why is my cheek stinging?"

Optimus stopped in the armory just long enough to deposit the Star Saber in the very back where someone couldn't touch it by accident. Taking a detour to the med-bay to wrap his palm with a piece of gauze, he then entered Ratchet and his room. The medic was lying on the berth, her back to the door and therefore Optimus.

Optimus lay down beside her. "You are not asleep."

"No." She made a sound of discontentment. "Would you actually expect me to be?"

"No." The silence was wrong, unwanted. "When I touched the Star Saber, I lived through some of Jack's memories," Optimus said slowly. "He lived through some of mine. I've never heard of a human-Cybertronian psychic connection, but we briefly had one."

Ratchet rolled over to look at him. "So that was what I felt through our bond. Before I felt nothing, that is."

Optimus rolled onto his side to look at her. "You are mad at me."

"Mad?" Ratchet sounded thoroughly confused. "I'm not mad. I'm upset. I mean, Primus, you were dead, Optimus! You weren't breathing and you didn't have a pulse. You don't just get to wake up and act like everything is all fine, because it isn't. I thought I was going to lose you." She reached up under her glasses to wipe away the beginnings of tears. "I have lost everyone else - I can't lose you, too."

Optimus reached out to wrap his arms around her. "I promise I won't leave you."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"Can I at least promise to try my best to not die in some stupid way?"

"I can live with that."

Optimus pulled his wife close. "I would never leave you, Ratchet. Especially not now. We are finally getting the family we always wanted." Sensing Ratchet's fear being replaced by love and hope through their telepathic bond, Optimus kissed her forehead. "I can't wait to see our daughter."

Without any hesitation, Ratchet said, "We're having a son."

"How do you know?" Optimus asked. He was smiling.

"I just do."

And there was the reason that Ratchet won all arguments not related to the war (and even quite a few related to the war). Once she pulled the 'I just know' card, there was no counterargument to use against her.

"Fine, then," Optimus relented. "I can't wait to see our son."

Ratchet let out a happy hum. Curling up in Optimus's embrace, she settled down. She may have been clinging to him a little harder than usual, but Optimus didn't mind. He had no intention of letting her go.

"I think the Star Saber needs a theme song," he said. "Like when I use it to do something really cool."

"You sound like Miko," Ratchet mumbled.

"How about the song 'The Touch' by Stan Bush?"

"Primus, no," Ratchet snapped. "That sounds like a slagging funeral song - or something you would sing right before someone important died. It was Fowler's suggestion, wasn't it?"

"Maybe...," Optimus admitted. "Well, how about 'If Today was your Last Day' by Nickelback?" June was always playing Nickelback songs at the base.

"Definitely a funeral song," Ratchet replied, yawning.

"How about 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons?"

"The Star Saber doesn't need a theme song," Ratchet said.

"You just don't like music," Optimus told her.

"I do too. I like the song 'I Walk the Line' by, um...Haybale? - no, Halsey. That was the artist."

"Why do you like that song?" Optimus asked.

"Why do you think?" Ratchet replied sleepily. She yawned again and tucked her head against Optimus's shoulder.

Optimus ran his fingers through her hair soothingly as her breathing grew deeper as she drifted to sleep. Thinking of the song, Optimus finally decided that Ratchet liked the song because the point of view could have easily been herself, especially back on Cybertron when she was risking everything to have a relationship with him.

Optimus gently removed Ratchet's glasses and set them on the stand beside the bed. His wife didn't even stir. She must have been emotionally exhausted. Optimus felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he realized that it would be all too easy to leave her and their child behind. He comforted himself by forcing himself to realize that, at the moment, everyone was safe.

Years of war had made sleeping in full clothes second nature for all Cybertronians, so Optimus was quick to follow his wife into the realm of dreams. All of which were, fortunately, his and not anyone else's.

* * *

 **Jack didn't have as much of a background to share...This whole scene where Optimus and Jack shared memories after touching the Star Saber was initially the little plot-monster that holed up in my mind to create this story (it just joined up with other plot-monsters to creature a plot-monster army that became a story).**

 **Next chapter is going to be about Starscream.**

 **Reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading. Review please!**


	16. Chapter 16

Starscream drifted in the cold water of Loch Ness. The sunlight danced on the surface above her, but the warmth of the yellow star's light did not reach her in the water's depths. She drifted slowly downward, her hair floating up in the currents. Her red bangs flashed above her, the only bright color in the darkness. Her wings, so helpful and necessary in the air, were now extra weight that dragged her down.

She struggled to recall how she had ended up here. She'd been at the top of the summit, looking down at the two humans. What were their names…oh, Jack and Miko. She should have attacked them; she'd had the advantage, they were unprotected, and they would have proven to be match for her.

But she hadn't. She had hesitated, thinking it over. The humans were no threat to her, and she had known it. More importantly, they hadn't had the Star Saber. She had debated attacking them anyway, just to make the Autobots suffer, but still she had been held back. She just couldn't do it – and she still had no idea why she couldn't.

She had simply flown over the humans, ignoring them. She'd flown too close to Arcee and Airachnid as they battled and Arcee had been unable to resist firing a shot at her. Starscream had dodged the shot, but her landing had been anything but graceful thanks to her new trajectory. At the edge of Loch Ness, on a brief flatter spot beside the choppy waters, were the others. Megatron had been fighting Optimus farther down. He must have remembered his last encounter, because he hadn't making a grab for the ancient sword but rather just working to keep himself between the blade and Optimus.

Starscream had jumped back with a hiss, wings flaring, when Knock Out appeared in front of her, Energon prod crackling. She had hesitated again, and this time she knew why. There were very few women on the _Nemesis_ and Knock Out was the only one that Starscream would ever consider spending time with. The medic might even have been loosely considered her friend.

"Are you seriously going to make me fight you?" she had asked.

"No. I just needed to distract you."

Too late had Starscream remembered that there had been a fourth Autobot. She had reacted too late, turning to face the threat was Bulkhead, and had been hit with his weapon – a large mace with blunt nubs on the ball – right on the shoulder. Pain had erupted, shooting down her right arm and back. Much to her alarm, her right wing had gone numb and drooped on its own. Bulkhead had hit her where her wing connected with her back, possibly dislocating the appendage.

She wasn't sure what happened next. Megatron had yelled – Optimus had obtained the Star Saber and Megatron now knew he couldn't touch it – and Airachnid had shrieked and tumbled down the slope. Something, someone, had pushed her. The cold water had been a shock to her and she had just stopped…stopped fighting, stopped trying to swim the surface.

She watched the air bubbles that escaped her lips and nose drift toward the surface, while she herself continued toward the murky bottom. Her lungs were beginning to ache. She struggled to recall what type of native Earth species could breathe underwater, but nothing came to mind. Couldn't humans breathe underwater with the right equipment?

Something silver caught her attention. Starscream realized her silver circlet was drifting down above her. The circlet that identified her as a princess, as a member of the House of the Vosian Royalty. She felt something rise up within her, something other than the burning need for oxygen.

Starscream was a survivor. She was a natural born leader, the best flier the Seekers had seen in generations. She was too important to die here, drowning on some organic planet that was not her home planet.

With a sudden surge of strength, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around the circlet. Almost on their own, her legs and arms began moving, propelling her toward the surface. The last of the air escaped between her lips even as she kicked her way toward the surface. The going was tough; her wings were useless weights and her lungs began burning, her hands and feet going numb (from cold or lack of oxygen she didn't know).

With a gasp, Starscream burst out of the water. She treaded among the cold ripples, her hand still clutching the circlet, and gasped for air, her lungs chilled by the sudden rush of air.

"Starscream!"

Ignoring the yell from her husband, Starscream slowly swam toward the shore. How had she gotten so far from land? Had Bulkhead thrown her? She drug herself onto the grass, shaking the water off as best she could. She put her circlet back on, her soggy, red bangs covering the right side of her face again. She flipped some soaking raven-colored hair over her shoulder as Steve crouched down beside her.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

Starscream didn't even question how Steve had gotten to Loch Ness. It was entirely possible that Megatron had called for a groundbridge to bring in backup. "I'm just a little cold. I can handle that myself."

"What about your wing?"

She'd forgotten that her wing had been damaged. It was still slightly numb feeling due to the cold. Now she realized that the pain was returning. She attempted to twitch the feathery appendage. Her left wing complied, but the right wing simply hung limply and burned.

"Dislocated," Starscream told Steve. "I can pop it back in place later."

"The longer it's out of place, the more stress is going to be put on the tendons, nerves, and muscles," Steve warned, "not to mention that you're stretching all those Energon veins."

Starscream gestured for him to go ahead and relocate her wing. She gritted her teeth to keep from crying out as Steve jerked the base of the wing and it popped back into place with a fresh wave of pain. As it was, she collapsed onto the ground, attempting to breathe through the sudden fire burning throughout her whole body.

"How does it hurt more going back into place than popping out of place?" she gasped.

Steve shrugged. "Just does."

A groundbridge swirling to life caught Starscream's attention and she pushed herself to her feet as Megatron walked steadily toward the portal, unaware of his wife's chilly look. Airachnid followed him, and Starscream couldn't decide if she was angry or dejected. Testing her wings out, and pleased to see both were responding to her commands now, even if the right one was slightly sore, Starscream followed them. Steve trailed her, silent.

As soon as Starscream stepped into the bridge of the _Nemesis_ , Megatron turned to Airachnid. "Get your Insecticons searching for the Autobot base – double-time. Knock Out was close to it, I know it. It's not that large of an area to search, so find the fragging base!"

Airachnid gave him a sickeningly elegant bow. "Of course, Lord Megatron." She turned and walked off, but not without muttering something disdainfully that Starscream couldn't quite catch.

Megatron turned his furious gaze on Starscream. Steve had hurried out of the command room, leaving Starscream alone with her husband and Soundwave; she assumed Soundwave was looking over at them from his communications hub, but it was hard to tell due to the visor. Laserbeak flapped his wings and cawed harshly.

"The Autobots got the Star Saber!"

"Are you blaming me, Megatron?" Starscream felt her chest tighten with anger. In light of a recent discovery, she was not too pleased with her husband. "Just because Soundwave located the Saber doesn't mean we could have retrieved it. None of us are Primes. At the most, we could have played a game of keep-away with the Autobots, but the Saber is physically attracted to Primes. It would have eventually ended up in the hands of Optimus regardless of what we did."

"That blade has the ability to cut through mountains," Megatron roared. "I'm going to have to talk with Shockwave about developing a weapon that can stand up to the Star Saber." He glared at her. "Someone needs to bare the blame for the failure today."

"I am not a scapegoat," Starscream hissed. Her wings flared.

"No, just a fallen queen," Megatron retorted.

Oooh, he'd hit a nerve there. "I was never the queen. Vos was bombed before I was crowned, and the Liaison had joined the Autobots anyway," Starscream said. "As you would know, seeing as you gave the order for the bombing."

Megatron just looked at her, red eyes hiding everything.

"I finally discovered the truth," Starscream continued. "You ordered for Vos to be bombed and then blamed the Autobots. You did that to ensure that you had my loyalty and the loyalty of the Seekers. Did you not trust me enough as your wife? Or was that all a lie, too?"

Megatron snorted. "I expected you to find out sooner. You are not the great detective you think you are, Princess."

"You made all of it up, didn't you? You just wanted to marry me in order to become a king rather than a mere gladiator. But the second you saw the chance to be something better, like the Prime, you just left me behind in the dust as something expendable," Starscream spat.

"If you were expendable, you would have been in Vos the day I blew it up," Megatron snarled. "Of course, sometimes people more expendable as time passes."

He was threatening her. Starscream responded in anger, wings flaring outwards in a defensive way. "What even is your plan? You can't be anything greater than you are without the Liaison. The Liaison is the person who names the new Prime. Did you miss the fact that the Liaison is currently married to the current Prime? You really think she would ever name you as the next Prime?"

"I'll force her to," Megatron said. "The Insecticons will storm the Autobot base and bring her to me. I'll tell her that if she revokes Optimus of his Prime status, reducing him back to Orion Pax, and names me as Prime then she and her husband can live together in my prison. I might even make sure they get enough Energon to live."

"Your entire plan rests on the ability of Airachnid's Insecticons to find the Autobot base," Starscream snapped.

"I have better things to do than listen to a queen you couldn't manage to hold her throne," Megatron said, walking past her. Soundwave was on his heels like a large shadow. Laserbeak made a cawing sound that was distrubingly close to laughing. "After all, that throne went up in flames."

As soon as Megatron left, Starscream yelled in frustration, wings flapping in anger. She stormed out of the command room, heading toward the outer hull of the _Nemesis_ so she could stand outside and look up at the endless sky. She refused to let any tears from her eyes. Maybe it had been a lie for Megatron, but she had definitely fallen in love with him all those years ago. The question was, did she still love him now?

His plan was ridiculous. Ratchet was a proud individual, but she was loyal to Optimus Prime through and through. She would never do that to Optimus. She'd instead somehow force Megatron to kill her. Or, more likely, Optimus and his Autobots would stage a rescue. With Knock Out on their side, they now had the means to know the entire layout of the _Nemesis_. Growling in anger, Starscream was pretty sure who would get the blame once Megatron's plan failed. This wasn't what she had signed on for when she had became Megatron's wife.

But back then, he had been different. More caring, less concerned with taking over and killing Optimus Prime. In fact, there hadn't even been an Optimus Prime at the time the two of them had met. They had married before Orion Pax had ever met them, had married before Orion Pax had ever met the doctor Ratchet, who would later become his wife.

Starscream was still pained by the truth that Megatron had indeed bombed Vos. She had originally heard it from Airachnid, and, for good reason, had not believed her. Before her defection, Knock Out had told Starscream that Airachnid hadn't been lying. She explained that she had learned of Megatron's guilt when he had told her that Dreadwing and Skyquake should have been among the Seekers killed during the bombing of Vos. Ironically enough, Skyquake had died - at Starscream's own hands when he threatened to take her crown. She had protected her right to reign over the Seekers. She knew Dreadwing's loyalty to her was not as strong as it could have been due to his twin's death being her doing, but he still respected as the Princess of Vos, and therefore the Seekers. Today, however, Megatron had just cemented the truth in Starscream's mind: he was responsible for the bombing of Vos, for the death of her parents and her two friends, Thundercracker and Skywarp.

She stepped outside of the _Nemesis_ and looked up at the sky. Starscream wasn't alone on the hull. Also standing outside was a femme Vehicon. The burn scars on her hand identified her as Charlotte, the Vehicon who had gotten burned by the Star Saber, though she went by Charlie. Her husband, Seth, had died during that battle. She was listening to a human song, and Starscream listened to the lyrics.

 _I'm heading straight for the castle_

 _They want to make me their queen_

 _There's an old man sitting on the throne_

 _That's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean_

Charlotte noticed Starscream. "Oh, Commander, I didn't see you there. Do you need something?"

"No, Charlotte," Starscream said. Her voice sounded dead even to her own ears.

Luckily, Charlotte didn't seem to notice – or, at least, she didn't comment. "Would you like me to turn off my music?"

"It's fine," Starscream said. "It's not bothering me."

 _Sick of being used_

A cold emotion settled in Starscream's chest. Megatron had used her, played with her emotions.

A Queen should never bow down to one who called himself a mere Lord.

 _Straight for the castle_

* * *

 **The song used is "Castle" by Halsey. It's one of my favorites, and it just fit this scene.  
**

 **Starscream has had such a hard life. She lost everything, except her husband, in that bombing, and she always believed she could blame the Autobots. Now, she can't blame the 'Bots...**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviews this story! You make writing so much easier, knowing I actually have an audience.**

 **That being said, reviews always welcome :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm not dead! Sorry for the sudden disappearance, but I was incredibly busy. Not now, though, so hopefully things will get back on schedule.**

* * *

Raf looked up at Jack as the older teen said, "Don't forget about my mother's party."

"Like, how could we forget?" Miko asked. "June's cooking at her house. Plus, you have the only pool in the city. Of course I'd use any excuse to get over there and swim."

"Party?" Knock Out took a break from sweeping. Ratchet, now four months along, had suddenly decided the base was a dirty wreck and had been ordering Knock Out to clean for the past couple of days. "Is swimming fun? We didn't have swimming on Cybertron."

"Swimming is tons of fun," Miko told her.

"Knock Out, you missed a spot!" Ratchet called. "Look at that particle of dust right there."

"If you weren't pregnant, I'd kill you," Knock Out muttered. Raf smiled, knowing that Knock Out wouldn't have killed Ratchet even if she wasn't pregnant. "Slagging pregnancy side effects and the need to freaking clean everything." She went back to sweeping (not the area Ratchet had pointed out) and, in a rather poor imitation of Ratchet, muttered, "Clean this. This piece of scrap metal isn't shiny enough, so keep scrubbing. These screens have fingerprints in the corners where I never look, but they need to come off."

Raf laughed and went back to watching Miko and Jack play against each other. Smokescreen was plopped down on the other side of them, cheering Miko on. Sideswipe was sitting in the floor and was cheering for Jack.

"So what is this party for, Jack?" Smokescreen asked as Miko's car was suddenly knocked off the road. She pouted, but quickly recovered at Smokescreen's question.

"Mom just thought it would be a good idea to get every together for an afternoon to just relax," Jack explained. "Our yard is fenced, so no one would be able to easily see in and notice all the people not from Jasper hanging out at our place. She's been trying to get Optimus to agree to this idea for two months. He finally agreed, though I think he was just tired of telling Mom no."

"Knock Out, have you noticed how dusty the rafters are?"

Raf turned his attention back to the ground floor, as did everyone else, as Knock Out turned to Ratchet. Ultra Magnus and Arcee, standing nearby, began looking around as if for an excuse to leave the room. Bulkhead and Wheeljack poked their heads out of the entranceway, where they'd been readjusting the engine on Smokescreen's newly arrived vehicle so it would go faster, but quickly retreated.

"Oh, no," Knock Out said. "Do you see how tall this ceiling is? Even if I were to get a ladder, I still couldn't reach the rafters. No one could."

"Turn into a bird or something and get up there," Ratchet told her. "Then you can dust off the rafters."

"Why don't you do it?" Knock Out asked, rolling her eyes. When the only response she got was a rather frightening glare, she sighed. "Can I least get some help?"

"I don't care," Ratchet said with a shrug. She walked towards a few buckets of soapy water she had recently brought into the main bay.

Knock Out walked up to Ultra Magnus, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to run away.

"You can help me," she said.

"I…uh…well, you see…"

"Unless you want to upset the pregnant woman," Knock Out said, gesturing with her broom at Ratchet.

Ultra Magnus looked even more distraught at that thought. Raf had to force himself to not laugh aloud. "Okay, fine," he agreed. "I guess I need a duster."

Raf was distracted from them as Optimus entered the room. Ratchet immediately intercepted him.

"Why didn't you tell me that my ambulance was in a horrible state of affairs?"

"What are you talking about?" Optimus asked.

"It's so dirty!" Ratchet cried. "The rims are not as shiny as they could be, and the white paint isn't gleaming like it should. You should be able to see your reflection in the windshield, and you can't. It needs some serious work!"

"I'm sure Wheeljack would be grateful to help…" Optimus trailed off as Ratchet shoved a rag and bucket of soapy water into his hands. "Or I guess I can." Raf figured he had just decided to give up rather than argue with his wife. Without another word, Ratchet dragged him toward the entranceway where the vehicles were parked.

Bulkhead and Wheeljack exited shortly after Optimus and Ratchet entered. Wheeljack marched over toward the catwalk, but didn't climb the stairs. Instead, she just craned her head up and yelled at the adolescents playing video games.

"Hey, when can we go to June's for the party?"

"As soon as Mom calls me," Jack replied.

Hearing a commotion, Raf turned to see that Ultra Magnus had somehow fallen on Knock Out. The redheaded medic was letting loose a string of exclamations that were probably not all that nice; fortunately, for the young ears, she was yelling in Cybertronian (for the benefit of the man who had crushed her) and in French and German.

Finally settling on English, she yelled, "I'm not a slagging sofa. Get off me, you son of a glitch!"

Ultra Magnus quickly did as she had asked. When he offered her a hand up, Knock Out refused and instead pushed herself to feet before she stormed away, muttering something about rafters and stupid men. Ultra Magnus face-palmed.

"Those two really need to work out their issues," Miko commented.

"Definitely," Smokescreen agreed.

Jack grabbed for his cell as his ringtone shattered the sudden silence. Knock Out returned, looking no less angry, as he said, "We'll be there shortly, Mom." He stood and yelled, "Let's go!"

* * *

Raf sat at on a lawn chair, watching the others. Wheeljack and Bulkhead were in the pool, leaned against the edge and talking. Wheeljack held some sort of fruity drink in her hands, just above the water line. Cybertronians could consume human food, but they had to consume the same amount of Energon as usual since human food lacked the nutrients they needed.

Smokescreen, Miko, and Jack were playing Marco Polo, with Miko swiping a pool noodle at the others as she was currently "Marco." Ultra Magnus and Knock Out were standing at the edge of the pool, talking to Sideswipe, who had given up on Marco Polo. Arcee, near Wheeljack and Bulkhead, yelled in protest when she accidentally got swiped by a pool noodle. June and Fowler were at the grill. June was grilling and Fowler was talking non-stop, with her interjecting with short sentences every once in a while. Ratchet and Optimus were at the food table.

Ratchet had stacked a hamburger patty on her plate with no bun, and piled mustard and pickles on top. She was eating the patty with a fork, while Optimus was watching her with an almost incredulous look. Unlike the others, they hadn't changed into swimwear, but both had taken on a more casual look.

"You don't like pickles," Optimus said.

"So?" Ratchet asked, raising an eyebrow.

Raf knew that his guardian hated pickles. Once it had been discovered that Cybertronians could have human food, the humans had brought food to the base to let the Cybertronians try some. Ratchet had proven to have a strong dislike for foods with a vinegar tang, like pickles and mustard.

"And you also do not like mustard," Optimus continued.

Ratchet pointed her fork at him. "Who are you to judge what I eat?" she snapped. "It's my stomach and I eat what it wants."

Optimus held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, my bad. I won't ask about food again." He lowered his hands and then said, "Did you have any Energon this morning?"

"That's a question about food, you slagger," Ratchet monotoned.

Optimus just grinned and Ratchet gave his shoulder a half-hearted slap. "Dork."

"But I am your dork," Optimus said.

Ratchet rolled her eyes. "Hey, are those vinegar and salt chips?" She grabbed the bag and then went back to eating. Optimus put his arm around her shoulders. A breeze tugged Ratchet's white shirt, revealing a small bump.

Hearing a scream, Raf turned to see Sideswipe pulling Knock Out into the pool. At the last second, she grabbed Ultra Magnus. Thrown off balance, the two of them fell into the pool together. Upon surfacing, Knock Out sputtered and then immediately began splashing Sideswipe. With a delighted squeal, Sideswipe began splashing back.

Everyone froze when Sideswipe accidentally splashed Ultra Magnus. Looking terrified, he stared at the general, who was frowning through his dripping beard. Glancing from her son to Ultra Magnus, Knock Out splashed the general herself. Ultra Magnus gave her a look, but Knock Out looked unfazed.

"That was payback for landing on me," she said with a smirk.

Raf smiled, surprised, when Ultra Magnus simply splashed her back. "Want to go to war? Fine then."

Pretty soon, the entire pool was in the middle of a splashing war, aside from Arcee, who jumped out. Wheeljack abandoned her drink and teamed up with Smokescreen against Bulkhead. Sideswipe laughed, splashing his mother and Ultra Magnus equally.

Arcee walked past Ratchet and Optimus, who were now sharing the bag of vinegar and salt potato chips, and asked June if she could help her.

June placed the last hot dog on the plate Fowler was holding. "No, thanks for asking though."

With a yelp, Fowler lost control of the plate and the hot dogs crashed down into the grass. Fowler gave June an innocent smile and said, "Oops."

June sighed and turned to Arcee. "You can get the hot dogs out of the fridge, please. I'll just cook some more."

Raf turned back to Ratchet as she let out a choking sound. She spat out a half-chewed chip into a napkin.

"Primus, that is terrible," she gasped out. "How could you let me eat something like that?" She gave Optimus an accusing glare.

"You were the one who wanted it," Optimus protested.

Ratchet groaned and then thumped her head against her husband's shoulder. She threw the chip bag in the general direction of the food table, and only succeeded in hitting Fowler in the head. He grunted as potato chips fell on his head and shoulders. He glared in the direction the bag had come from, realized his choices were Optimus or Ratchet, and silently began brushing the chips off.

Some time later, everyone was sitting around the picnic table, eating and talking. Raf was between Ratchet and Smokescreen. On the other side of Smokescreen, Wheeljack and Bulkhead were discussing a new engineering idea, though it was mostly a one-sided conversation on Wheeljack's part. On the other side of Ratchet, Optimus was sitting there, with one arm around Ratchet's waist. June and Fowler were sitting across from Optimus and Ratchet, talking amongst the four of them. Miko and Jack were sitting beside each other, and Knock Out was sitting beside Ultra Magnus, with Sideswipe between Jack and Knock Out. Arcee was on the other side of Ultra Magnus.

Occasionally, Arcee butted into Wheeljack and Bulkhead's conversation. Knock Out and Ultra Magnus were talking, basically arguing, but Raf could see from the twinkle in their eyes that they were enjoying their banter. Ratchet and June were enjoying themselves, with Fowler and Optimus occasionally glancing at their respective women with a loving look (or wishful look, in Fowler's case).

"Sierra dumped me," Jack was saying to Miko.

"I didn't think you guys were even dating," the Japanese girl replied.

"I know, and that just makes the whole thing worse!" Jack cried.

"So…what makes you say she dumped you?" Miko asked.

"I asked her to come today. Thought it might be a good time to get to know her," Jack explained. "And she said no. She was already going out with Vincent. I can't compete with him. She dumped me for Vincent Rickard, of all people!"

Miko patted Jack's shoulder. "Look, if she can't see how amazing you are, she doesn't deserve you. I mean, it's not like she knows you've saved the planet from Decepticons on multiple occasions."

Raf grinned. Once again, he looked at the group. Some people might call them a team, the Autobots. But Raf saw so much more…a family. He could see it, could see everyone falling into their respective places.

Optimus and Ratchet were the parents, and June was a mother-figure as well. Fowler, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, Ultra Magnus, Knock Out, and Arcee were definitely aunts and uncles – and overprotective ones at that. Raf figured they picked up on the overprotectiveness from Ratchet and Optimus, who would die before allowing anyone to suffer. Miko, Jack, Smokescreen, Sideswipe, and Raf himself were the cousins that were really close-knit, but still trying to learn their exact place in their family and then the world itself.

Ratchet turned to him, probably having picked up on his emotions. "What's gotten you feeling so whimsical?"

"I'm just glad to be a part of the family," Raf told her.

She blinked, looking a little unsure of how to respond to him. Then her blue-green eyes flickered over the others and she looked back at Raf with a smile.

"Me too," she said, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "Me too."

* * *

 **Once again, sorry for the long disappearance. Thanks for checking up on me, Rose. I'm good, just busy.**

 **This was one of those feel-good, no action chapters. Figured one of those would be nice. The next chapter will definitely have some action. It wouldn't be Transformers story without action :)**

 **Will post next weekend.**

 **Thanks for reading and thanks for sicking with me, even after the break. Reviews are welcome as always.**


	18. Chapter 18

Arcee walked through the silent base, heading for the main bay. A fly buzzed by her ear, and she lifted her hand to swat it, but then stopped. Both Smokescreen and Sideswipe had a habit of turning into bugs and buzzing around the base. It would not be a good situation if Arcee swatted one of them. Sighing, she walked into the main bay, which was surprisingly empty.

Ratchet was sitting at a recent table that had been brought in by Fowler, and maps of all sorts were spread out over the table top. Many of the maps had the handwriting of Optimus, Ultra Magnus, and Ratchet herself on them, indicating areas of Cybertronian importance, such as Energon mines and relics. The five month pregnant medic had her arms crossed and was staring at nothing; Arcee herself was used to doing that, often thinking of the people she had lost, and she wondered what Ratchet was thinking about.

With a little bit of guilt, Arcee realized that she didn't know much about Ratchet's personal life. She knew a little about her family, from what had been publicly announced before the war, but the most she knew about Ratchet personally was that she had refused to marry Pharma and instead married the man who would become Optimus Prime. Arcee also knew that, despite the harsh and biting demeanor Ratchet often exhibited, Ratchet was a caring person – the evidence being that Optimus wouldn't fall for someone who wasn't, and there was a definite spot for Raf in the medic's heart. Arcee wondered what type of mother Ratchet would be, but she had no doubt that the child would be well cared for and loved, between its two parents.

Walking up behind Ratchet, Arcee asked, "Where are the others?"

Ratchet kicked the chair beside her, indicating that she would not protest to Arcee sitting beside her. "Optimus took a group to scout for Energon, and Ultra Magnus and Knock Out are attempting to see if they can discover what's causing discord in the Decepticon ranks."

Arcee made no comment on the former Decepticon being chosen for the mission, knowing that she would have a better chance of determining what was up with the Decepticon ranks than anyone else. Besides, she had Ultra Magnus with her.

"Where are the kids?" Arcee asked, sitting beside Ratchet. The medic had yet to lift her head. "Jack and Miko have a field trip to the Grand Canyon, I know, but what are the others doing?"

"Raf's mother bullied the school in letting Raf go to the Grand Canyon, so he's on the field trip with Jack and Miko," Ratchet explained, smirking. "Smokescreen and Sideswipe have been taken on field trip of their own to New York City. Wheeljack is watching them."

"That'll go well," Arcee said, raising an eyebrow.

Ratchet shrugged. "Optimus agreed to it. He said it would give the young ones an in depth look at human culture that they can't get here in Jasper. Besides, Smokescreen can't perform guardian duties if Raf is at the Grand Canyon."

"How are you doing?" Arcee asked.

"I'm fine. I'm just glad that everything doesn't look so dirty to me anymore," Ratchet replied, lifting her head from her arms finally. "Although I did have a craving for mustard-covered chicken last night. If we still lived on Cybertron, where we had less food choices, these cravings would not be this weird."

"Weird is relative," Arcee replied.

The two women fell into a silence. Ratchet grabbed a pen began retracing a note that Optimus had written on a map of China. Arcee noticed that she seemed to have no problem with this action, though Optimus's handwriting was blockier and larger than her scribbling and small handwriting.

Arcee suddenly admitted to herself why she and Ratchet had never been able to get along.

"It's not fair, you know," she said before she could stop her mouth and vocal cords from betraying her.

"What's not fair?" Ratchet asked.

"You managed to get a man as wonderful as Optimus," Arcee replied. "And now you and Optimus are going to be parents in four months. I guess I'm just as jealous about you as I am about Wheeljack and Bulkhead. I mean, why do you get to be happy, when others don't? Knock Out lost Breakdown, but at least she has Sideswipe, you know. And me – well, my resume includes one dead boyfriend and a dead fiancé."

Ratchet had stopped tracing the words as Arcee had talked. Now she put the pen down and turned to Arcee. "You're right. It's not fair. To tell you the truth, I didn't want to have kids for a long time, even when Optimus did, because I knew we were in a tough spot – the war – and we couldn't be distracted." She sighed. "Arcee, I don't know why some people get to have a family and some people don't – I don't even know why some people get their loved ones taken away. Those are questions for Primus, not me. I'm sorry that you lost Tailgate and Cliffjumper, I truly am. But, if it means anything, you can at least think that you gave their lives some meaning and happiness."

"But where is my meaning, my happiness?" Arcee asked bitterly. She resisted the urge to reach forward, grab a pen, and snap it in half in her frustration.

"I don't know," Ratchet said. "And those I three words I don't say often." She looked away and then added, "Maybe you'll find someone someday. Optimus wasn't exactly the first guy I dated, you know."

"I don't think Pharma counts, since that was an arranged marriage," Arcee snapped.

"I wasn't talking about Pharma," Ratchet said, pushing her glasses back up on her nose. "I was talking about Ironhide. That was a rather foolish decision on my part, and Ironhide is actually the only reason I ever met Optimus. If I hadn't been so upset at Ironhide, then I wouldn't have stopped outside in the middle of a rainstorm, and Orion Pax would never have paused to hand me his umbrella. And, as I'm sure you recall, I wasn't Optimus's first girlfriend either."

Arcee smiled in a bittersweet way, thinking of her sister, Elita One. She had no idea of what had happened to her sister upon the exodus of Cybertron, but Elita One had always been resourceful. The medic flinched, startled, as the proximity sensor went off. Arcee jumped up, a natural reflex after years of war, and the chair fell over behind her. The women moved as one, heading toward the monitors.

"What is it?" Arcee asked, as Ratchet read the warning.

"It's a…" She cut off and looked down the entranceway as a horrible screeching began. Arcee whipped her knives out of the long sleeves of her flannel shirt. There came a nerve-wracking clang in the sudden silence.

"Ratchet, what is it?" Arcee repeated.

"It's an Insecticon," Ratchet said. She added, her voice much quieter, "The Decepticons have finally located our base."

"Contact Optimus, and tell him to come back," Arcee ordered. From the look Ratchet gave her, she figured that she must have already done that. Gritting her teeth, she snarled, "Where there's an Insecticon, Airachnid isn't far behind."

Ratchet didn't respond, but she did retrieve her daggers. Arcee's pistols were on her belt, and she put her knives up to get them, as they would be more effective against a beast such as an Insecticon.

With a growl and harsh whirring sound, the Insecticon appeared in the entranceway. Unfortunately, Arcee recognized this particular Insecticon, it having been responsible for injuries sustained by Bulkhead a few years back. The scars on its bottom jaw gave it away, as did the yellow paint around its eyes and down its front legs.

"That's Hardshell," Ratchet said, rather unnecessarily, but Arcee figured it was more for the medic's own sake than hers.

The large, wolf-like creature's sharp wings buzzed as he lifted his head, sniffing the air. His gaze landed on Ratchet and he crouched down, but made no move to attack. With a sudden sense of dread, Arcee recalled that Airachnid was telepathically connected to all of her Insecticons. Hardshell must have realized Ratchet was pregnant, it was more obvious now, and Arcee knew that Airachnid had been informed – which meant that the rest of the Decepticons would be too.

Hardshell kept his gaze on Ratchet, and Arcee got the sudden feeling that maybe Hardshell had been tasked with more than locating the Autobots' base. It was no secret that Megatron knew that Ratchet was the key to controlling Optimus; it must have been a dumb stroke of luck that he was targeting her now that she was pregnant. Arcee knew it wasn't Knock Out's style to go back to Megatron, not after he had threatened to kill her son, insulted her, and was partially responsible for what had happened to Breakdown, so she didn't think there was any way for the Decepticons to have known Ratchet was pregnant – until now.

A groundbridge whirled to life. Instantly, there was a telepathic connection for Ratchet. There were no words, but Arcee was able to glean that the groundbridge wasn't from friendly sources. Arcee felt a pit of anger boil in her gut as a woman dressed in a long, black leather jacket that flashed in sheens of purple stepped out. Lips covered in purple lipstick curled up into a triumphant smirk as Airachnid took in the Autobot base and the lack of Autobots.

Arcee turned her guns on Airachnid and fired. She was suddenly reminded that Ratchet had been trained to fight alongside Optimus back in her younger days as the medic twisted to smack a device, simultaneously throwing one dagger at Hardshell as the Insecticon lunged forward with a growl.

The device activated, glowing green. With a horrible screeching sound, the groundbridge blinked out. Airachnid growled, dodging Arcee's blasts, and spread her large wings to fly up into the air.

"Get that medic, Hardshell!" she ordered.

Arcee glanced at Hardshell, and the Insecticon was currently pawing at Ratchet's dagger, which had lodged in his chest. Energon leaked out of a wound that would have killed a regular Cybertronian or ever a lesser Insecticon. Airachnid, however, had taken advantage of her distraction, and Arcee cried out as acid splattered at her feet. Throwing herself in a standing backflip, she managed to avoid getting more than her shoes destroyed.

"Ratchet, what did you do?" she asked, spinning around to face the medic.

"I made it so that only a groundbridge I open from this location will appear in this location," Ratchet replied. "I also trapped Airachnid and Hardshell in here, so they can't send out any telepathic messages."

Airachnid landed on the ground, the heels of her boots clacking against the concrete floor. She swept her gaze over Arcee and Ratchet, and then smiled to expose white teeth. With an amused laugh, she said, "Today has worked out rather well for me, don't you think? I was tasked with finding the Autobot base and, well, kidnapping the Autobot medic. But I have found something even greater – the fact that that said Autobot medic is expecting. I bet Prime would do anything to protect his wife and child."

"You're not taking her," Arcee growled, standing in front of Ratchet.

"Oh, Arcee. I seem to remember you saying I wouldn't harm Tailgate, either," Airachnid grinned. Her leather coat shifted, revealing all sorts of knives. "And I remember him dying, staring right at you. Do you remember that?"

With a yell of outrage, Arcee lunged at Airachnid. The Decepticon didn't even bother to pull out a weapon, but just dodged. As Arcee took in her smug expression, she realized she had just given into her revenge and anger again, and had fallen right into Airachnid's trap. She spun around to face Ratchet as she heard the medic cry out. Hardshell had pinned her down on the floor, and Arcee was grateful to see that Ratchet had landed on her back and not her stomach. The Insecticon had his front paws on her shoulders and he was growling. The dagger was missing from his chest, and Energon dripped from the wound.

Arcee was distracted from Ratchet as Airachnid hit her broadside with her dark purple and gold wings. The agile Autobot managed to remain on her feet, but she dropped one of her pistols. She spun back around, but both she and Airachnid turned to the other fight as Hardshell howled in pain.

Ratchet had dug her fingers into the wound she had previously made with her dagger. Hardshell opened his jaws wide to howl, and Ratchet whipped out her second dagger, which everyone seemed to have forgotten she had, and shoved it up into Hardshell's mouth. Arcee heard a cracking sound that must have been Hardshell's skull. The Insecticon lurched back, eyes wide. He attempted to get his paws beneath him, but he continually lost his balance as soon as he achieved it. His wings buzzed on his back, but they were slowing down. Ratchet put as much distance between herself and the Insecticon as she could. With one last snarl, dislodging the dagger from his mouth, Hardshell collapsed.

"No!" Airachnid yelled. From a wrapping on her wrist she fired something at Ratchet. The medic, still sitting on the floor, yelled in exasperation as she found her hands trapped against the wall by Airachnid's special webbing. "You should be grateful that it's not poisonous."

Arcee took that as her opening. She lunged at Airachnid, dropping her remaining pistol and retrieving her golden knives. The two women fought, knives against knives, parrying and striking. Arcee managed to take out Airachnid's wrist bands, not caring if she got the flesh underneath. In such close hand-to-hand combat, Airachnid couldn't use her poison sprayer, but she could use her wings as a means to shove Arcee around and throw her off balance.

As they fought, Arcee saw Ratchet reaching with her foot toward the dagger she had used to kill to Hardshell. Her movement was a little restricted due to her pregnancy, but it would be worse in later months and she had enough movement to retrieve the dagger. Using her knees, she began to saw at the webbing that had her trapped at the wall.

Arcee cried out as she was thrown roughly to the ground, her knives skittering away from her. Airachnid grinned, knives pointed at her face and chest.

"Say hello to Tailgate and Cliffjumper for me," she smirked.

A dagger slammed into her head, not hurting her, but throwing her off balance. Arcee kicked Airachnid's legs out from under her, pushing her down. Arcee hurried to her feet and ran after Ratchet, who was heading farther into the base.

"Thanks for the save," Arcee said, catching up to her.

"I've got an idea," Ratchet replied. "I think you're going to like it." Arcee noticed the glint in her eye, and she was glad to be on Ratchet's side as the light was a little unnerving.

The two women ran into a room and Arcee stopped short. Her gaze was locked on a red mass of twisted metal above the door. She blinked, remembering why she avoided the room with all the discarded devices and machines. Among them, hanging from the ceiling, was Cliffjumper's old vehicle.

"Look, I'm going to stand in the middle of the room and pretend to be tired," Ratchet gasped out. "Which really won't be that hard. You need to get up high, and the second Airachnid comes in, I need you to cut the lines holding up Cliffjumper's car."

Arcee nodded, pushing aside the memories. "I can do that." She noticed that Ratchet's shirt was covered with Energon, and Energon dripped off her fingers. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine," Ratchet insisted. "Airachnid is coming. You have one chance!"

Arcee nodded and shifted into a redwing blackbird. She flew into the rafters and shifted back, pulling a pocketknife out of the chest pocket of her flannel shirt. Below her, Ratchet was in position, turned toward the door. Her chest was heaving, and Arcee figured it wasn't an act.

Airachnid appeared in the doorway, her face contorted in anger. "Megatron wants you as healthy as possible, but I think I'll have a little fun with you first. I'll make sure you live, but no promises about the child."

Arcee slashed the nearest rope with all her might and it snapped. Overstressed, the other ropes snapped and the entire chassis crashed down. Airachnid looked up and attempted to move out of the way, but she was trying to defy gravity. The car that had belonged to Cliffjumper crashed onto her. A golden hoop earring rolled out from under the metal mass.

"Way to strike from beyond the grave, Cliff," Arcee murmured with a smile.

Optimus burst into the room, followed by Bulkhead, Wheeljack, Smokescreen, and Sideswipe (once she realized Sideswipe was there, Wheeljack shoved him out of the room with her leg). Arcee shifted into a blackbird again and flew down to land beside Ratchet and reverted to her natural form. Realizing the threat was neutralized, Optimus put away his weapons and bypassed the crashed car to take Ratchet into his arms with a relieved sigh.

Arcee moved to pick up Airachnid's earring as Optimus said, "You're covered in Energon."

"It's not mine," Ratchet assured him. "I'm just tired. I can't run as well as I used."

Wheeljack walked up to Arcee. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Arcee told her. "I'm just…I'll need a little bit of adjusting time to realize that Airachnid is dead."

"Bulkhead is taking Smokescreen and Sideswipe back to the main bay," Wheeljack said. "Optimus called Fowler, and he's going to look for a new base so the other Decepticons don't come after us. Ultra Magnus and Knock Out are on their way back – I don't think they found anything."

Arcee nodded. Wheeljack walked away, but Arcee didn't pay her enough attention to see which way she went. The warrior was instead watching as Optimus pulled Ratchet close, murmuring things in her ear. Ratchet wasn't grinning, but her position suggested she was relaxed. Arcee turned away. Cliffjumper could save her from beyond the grave, but he couldn't stand there to comfort her.

She clenched the earring in her fist, harder and harder, until it snapped. She dropped the pieces on the ground, right in front of Cliffjumper's sports car, and then walked out of the room.

* * *

 **I feel so sorry for Arcee. One more Decepticon gone, but the Autobots have to find a new base. And now the Decepticons know that Ratchet is expecting, so the plot thickens. :)**

 **Thanks for being such loyal readers.**

 **Reviews are welcomed - really, they are. All reviews, whatever you want to say.**


	19. Chapter 19

"Fowler, these monitors are offline. Could you get someone to get power to them?" With a wave in her direction to acknowledge he had heard her, Fowler walked out of the new hanger that the Autobots were using for a base. Ratchet turned her attention to Ultra Magnus and Knock Out. "The vehicles need to go right in front of the hanger door, so we can get them out in a hurry. And be careful with Optimus's semi!"

The two walked out of the hanger to where all the vehicles were parked haphazardly, with many soldiers scowling as they had to go the long way to the mess hall as Knock Out's Aston Martin was blocking the front entrance. Ratchet turned back to survey the base.

Arcee, Jack, Miko, and Raf were moving furniture around to create a setup like they had had in the previous base. Wheeljack, Smokescreen, and Bulkhead were moving in boxes of medical supplies, devices, and weapons. Optimus was directing them, telling them which boxes went where. The more personal items were being handled by Optimus himself. Sideswipe was running around, checking out the new base, with Knock Out's Energon staff in his hands.

Sideswipe made the mistake of running by Ratchet, and she snatched the staff from him. "I'll take this, thank you."

The eight year old pouted for just a second, and then he beamed and said, "I can help Ultra Magnus and Momma with the vehicles!" He ran out the large door.

Ratchet tossed the Energon staff to Wheeljack, who was carrying a box of grenades. "Put this with the other weapons."

"I'll put it right next to the Star Saber," she replied with a wink.

The Star Saber had been the first thing to be brought into the base, and Optimus had deposited it in a room he had immediately decided was the weapons storage room. Fowler had been quick to find a new base for the Autobots. It was on a military base in Nevada, but still relatively close to Jasper. June and Fowler could drive out fairly easily, and the kids were still being groundbridged to and from base, so it was of no inconvenience to them.

 _Hey, Ratchet, we got the furniture all set up._

Responding to Raf's telepathic message, Ratchet walked over to were the kids were. Miko and Jack were plopped down on the couch, looking tired, and Arcee had her hands on her hips, looking unimpressed. Raf waved at Ratchet, smiling broadly.

The sight of the smallest human always warmed Ratchet and she sent him a small smile in return. She missed being his guardian, but she knew that once Optimus and the others could handle the baby for a night alone, she could go back to her guardian duties.

"Looks like everything is getting into place," Jack commented as Knock Out drove her Aston Martin into the hanger, spinning it around to face the exit (Ratchet decided to not comment on the skid marks that were now on the concrete floor).

"Alright!" Miko said, winking.

Ultra Magnus drove his semi-truck into the hanger, performing a rather controlled three-point turn to get the truck facing in the right direction. Sideswipe was sitting in the passenger seat, grinning ear to ear.

"I bet Sideswipe is going to want a fast car, like his mother's," Arcee said.

"I bet he'll want it to be red," Ratchet added.

Since the fight with Airachnid less than seventy-two hours ago, the two women had come to an understanding. Arcee was a little more open to Ratchet, and Ratchet was working on curbing her sharp tongue. Unfortunately for the others, she had yet to decide to not use her barbed tongue against them. Ratchet wondered if Optimus had realized just how snarky and temperamental she could be when he married her.

Bulkhead let out an exclamation and this was immediately followed by the sound of cardboard crumbling and datapads sliding across the floor. Ratchet turned around, taking in the fact that Bulkhead had dropped the box he was carrying, scattering handheld devices across the new base.

"Bulkhead, I needed that!" Ratchet snapped, briskly walking toward him.

The dark-skinned man looked panicked, sending a look that read _SOS!_ to Wheeljack, who was returning from dropping off the weapons she had been carrying. Smokescreen set down the boxes he had been carrying, as did Optimus. Sensing a commotion that could need some diffusing, Ultra Magnus walked over as well, and Knock Out and Sideswipe followed him. Ratchet was able to sense Raf following her, and she figured that the others wouldn't be far behind him.

"What are all these datapads?" Smokescreen asked, kicking the nearest one with his foot.

"Don't kick that," his mother scolded. She proceeded to kick Smokescreen's shin.

"Ouch! How about you don't kick your own son, Mom?!"

"Stop it," Ultra Magnus ordered.

"Each datapad holds a holoimage," Ratchet explained. "I actually thought this box was long gone." She turned her questioning gaze to her husband.

Optimus shrugged, keeping his expression neutral, but Ratchet could sense that he was actually a little embarrassed through their mental connection. "The archivist in me wouldn't let these holoimages go, considering their historical value. The reflective part of me wouldn't let them go because of the memories they contain and bring forth."

"So, who's this?" Miko held up a picture of a woman with long, straight strawberry long hair and blue-green eyes. The woman in the picture was laughing, holding in her arms a toddler. The toddler was laughing as well, exposing one missing front tooth; her eyes were scrunched closed and she was clutching a plush toy that resembled a turbofox in her arms. The toddler's strawberry blonde hair was in pigtails.

Ratchet glanced at Optimus, surprised to see such an old image. Optimus grinned and telepathically said, _You looked too cute in that holoimage to get rid of it._

"It's my mother, Crystalline, and me when I was a little child," Ratchet said a little slowly. "I'm actually surprised to see such a holoimage. When I was little there weren't a lot of times that my parents took holoimages." She almost added that there weren't a lot of times when her parents smiled, but she didn't. The less she talked about her family and the way her father had ruled the politics of Cybertron, the better.

"Did you have a large family?" Miko asked, putting the datapad down. "I'm an only child, you know."

"I had six older siblings," Ratchet told her. "Plus my mother and my father, Sharptack. We all lived in a mansion in the rich part of Cybertron."

"Did you have maids?" Miko asked.

"Yes," Ratchet replied. "And chiefs and security guards who were tasked with keeping the poorer people out of the mansion." She glanced guilty at the other Cybertronians present, fully aware that she had been the richest and most privileged of them all in her youth. "I was a member of the House of the Liaison, and it was my family that practically ruled Cybertron. My family was in the upper crust of Cybertronian society, known as the Elite."

"Cool," Miko said. "So you were like the rich girl, huh?"

"I guess you could say so," Ratchet conceded, "but I'm not the only member of the Elite you know."

"Who else is?" Jack asked. The children were gathering around, Smokescreen and Sideswipe included, clearly excited at the prospect of hearing of the history of the Autobots and Decepticons they knew. The other adult Cybertronians began to pick the datapads, occasionally looking at the holoimages they held.

"Starscream," Ratchet said.

"We knew that," Raf said. "She's a princess, right? But a princes of what?"

"There was a city that contained Seekers called Vos," Ratchet explained. "And Vos had its own royalty. Starscream was the Princess of Vos, the daughter of Queen Blazing Star and King Sonicscream." Ratchet sighed. "Vos was the first city to be destroyed in the war, taken out by a secret team of Decepticons so Megatron could blame the Autobots and guarantee Starscream's loyalty, as she was the ruling head of the Seekers at that point."

"Weren't Megatron and Starscream married at that time?" Jack asked.

"Indeed," Optimus interjected. "Megatron and Starscream were the first of my friends to get married."

"Who was next?" Raf asked.

"Knock Out and Breakdown," Ratchet said, glancing at her friend. The other medic wasn't paying any attention, however, and was looking at Sideswipe as he delightfully went through many of the holoimages. "Wheeljack and Bulkhead were already married when we met them."

"Smokescreen was born at the beginning of the war," Wheeljack said, smiling at her sixteen year old son.

Smokescreen just smiled back. "Found a holoimage from when I was a baby." He waved the datapad, and Wheeljack was quick to take it from him. She smiled warmly as she looked at the image.

"Optimus and I were the last to get married," Ratchet finished. "I was sort of in trouble with the Elite for the marriage." She immediately cursed herself, angry that she was getting into that topic.

"Why?" Raf asked.

"Oooh, you were a rebel!" Miko added.

"It's sort of a long explanation," Ratchet said, glancing at Optimus. "You have to understand the politics of Cybertron for it to make any sense."

"So, explain away," Jack said. "It's not like we have anything else to do."

"Cybertron was initially ruled by the original Thirteen Primes, but there was war between them caused by the Fallen," Optimus explained, taking up the story. "After that, only one Prime was to rule the planet at a time. He would rule with a cabinet that consisted of his wife, the Prime Lady, and their guards, the Prime Guard and the Prime Lady Guard. Also during this time arose the Liaison. The Liaison's job was to choose the next Prime upon the death of the ruling Prime. The Liaison also performed the coronations for the Vosian Royalty of Seekers."

"This was my bloodline," Ratchet added. "The House of the Liaison."

Optimus took up the story again. "Then came a Prime named Sentinel Prime, and his final act was to end the Primes. He created the High Council, a group of Thirteen Cybertronians who would rule Cybertron together."

"The Liaison's job became even more important," Ratchet said. "Now they were in charge of picking the entire High Council and not just a single Prime. When I was growing up, my father had chosen eleven of the thirteen High Council members and they all owed their loyalty to him."

"Cybertron became corrupt," Arcee interceded. "The Elite created castes, and worked to keep the poor as poor as possible. The Elite kept the money within their small circles, and left the others to work for a living."

Ratchet felt a flash of guilt. "That is very true. The Elite were so desperate to keep money within the Elite class that they even started to arrange marriages. I was destined to marry a neurosurgeon named Pharma."

"But you didn't," Miko said.

Ratchet shook her head. She smiled at Optimus. "I met a young librarian named Orion Pax. I wasn't supposed to befriend him, given that he was from a lower class, but I did. And then I fell in love."

"But what about Pharma?" Raf asked.

"He got angry, and tried to have me and Optimus killed," Ratchet replied. "He attempted to manipulate me, and make me the most powerful individual on Cybertron so he could share the power upon our marriage."

"So, what happened?"

"Orion Pax was madly in love, and even when the young Liaison told him to stay away from her so Pharma wouldn't kill him, he wouldn't," Optimus said. He was smiling at Ratchet. "So, Orion Pax had his police friend, Jazz, sneak the two of them out of the capital city of Iacon. They went to the small town of Yuss and were married."

"In Cybertronian culture, a marriage cannot be ignored or broken," Ratchet explained. "We do not understand the concept of divorce when it comes to our marriages, because our marriages create a mental connection between the two individuals. Because of this, Pharma couldn't do anything, and neither could the High Council, though it was apparently scandalous for the Liaison to marry a mere librarian."

"You eloped! That is the most romantic thing ever," Miko squealed. "I thought you just had a boring marriage, but this story is totally better!"

Ratchet didn't bother telling her that she hadn't even heard half of the story, just a very condensed version that left out the terrible details and the more charming moments. She grabbed Optimus's hand, suddenly aware of the fact that he was the only one who knew her story in its whole.

"Ratchet, look at this," he said, holding a datapad out to her.

She looked at the image, and felt her eyes began to tear up. In the picture, she still had long and curly hair and she was dressed in a solid white dress with red heels. Her hair was covered with strands of rubies, rather than the normal ruby circlet she wore. Optimus – or Orion Pax – was dressed in a sharp suit, most likely borrowed from a friend, though Ratchet had never minded if that was indeed the case. They were kissing, with Orion Pax dipping her back slightly. Very few friends had been invited to the hurried wedding (or even knew about it), but Knock Out and Starscream were there, grinning and throwing red and white crystals into the air. Megatron, Breakdown, and Jazz were there too, clapping and grinning.

"Oh, Optimus, I thought this was destroyed when the hospital blew up," Ratchet breathed, recalling she had kept the datapad on her desk as the war started.

"I managed to salvage it," he replied.

Ratchet smiled at him, and he smiled back, his blue eyes full of love. She had never regretted marrying him, because she knew that no one else would ever love her in the magnitude that Optimus did.

She turned, startled by a sudden, muffled sob. Knock Out had one hand over her mouth, staring down at a datapad. Tears were appearing in her ruby eyes as Sideswipe hurried to his mother's side and looked at the image. He immediately frowned, his own eyes darkening with sadness.

"I miss Daddy," he said. He patted his mother's side.

Knock Out looked at him, lowering the datapad enough for Ratchet to see the holoimage. It was picture of Knock Out and Breakdown dancing at their wedding. In the background, Megatron and Starscream were dancing as well, while Ratchet and Orion Pax were standing and talking, though they were holding hands.

"Oh, Sides," she said.

"I know you miss him too, Mommy, even though you tried to not act sad in front of me," Sideswipe continued. "But you can cry, Mommy. It's okay."

Dropping the datapad all together, Knock Out wrapped her arms around Sideswipe, lifting him up rather easily for his size. The boy wrapped his little arms about her neck. Sideswipe gestured at Ultra Magnus, and the general blinked, looking confused. Wheeljack gave him a shove forward, and Sideswipe grabbed his wrist before he could away. Ratchet smirked as Ultra Magnus ended up in the family hug, his large arms wrapped around Knock Out and Sideswipe.

 _Even Sideswipe is trying to get the two of them together,_ Ratchet sent to Optimus, along with a healthy dose of amusement.

 _And Wheeljack was pretty obvious as well. How come we didn't have anyone who tried to get us together?_ Optimus asked.

 _What are you talking about? Knock Out told me I should marry you after our first date. And Jazz was always telling you to just hurry up and ask me to go out with you and then marry you,_ Ratchet replied, rolling her eyes. _For a sentimental guy, you're pretty bad about remembering things._

"That's why I keep the holoimages," Optimus whispered in her ear.

Ratchet twisted to give him a kiss on the cheek. She leapt back as Fowler walked into the hanger, calling out a rather loud greeting. Ultra Magnus stepped away from Knock Out and Sideswipe as if they had suddenly burst into flame; composing himself, he cleared his throat and tugged at his dark blue and gold jack to straighten it. Knock Out set Sideswipe down and began wiping at her eyes.

"Is my makeup smeared? I cannot look like a raccoon!"

"You look fine, Mommy."

"There's power to the monitors now," Fowler said. Then the sight that had greeted him upon entering finally registered in his mind. "What did I miss?"

"I have to get the other vehicles. Knock Out?"

"I'll help," she agreed, with just a little too much enthusiasm.

"I should pick up these datapads," Bulkhead said quickly.

"I'll help," Wheeljack added.

"Me too!" Sideswipe squealed.

"The kids and I have to go stock the mini-fridge," Arcee said.

"We have a mini-fridge?" Miko asked.

"We do now," Arcee told her, shooing Jack, Raf, and Miko away.

"I better go see if those monitors are working," Ratchet said, turning away.

Fowler turned to Optimus. "So, what did I miss?"

Optimus was quick with his answer. Ratchet had to work at not letting out a snorting laugh.

"Nothing."

* * *

 **Another sort of slow chapter...but next won't be :)**

 **Review, review, review...they are always appreciated, my dear readers.**


	20. Chapter 20

Optimus peaked around the large boulder. He held up his hand to the other members of the patrol as he surveyed the clearing. Seeing nothing, he dropped his hand and walked around the boulder.

Ultra Magnus followed him, as did Wheeljack and Smokescreen. The other members of the Autobots were at their new base. Optimus had taken a team out on a scouting mission for Energon. After Airachnid's attack last month, Optimus was taking care to make sure that there were enough Autobots at the base to protect Ratchet should anything happen.

"Mom, are you still mad at me?" Smokescreen whispered to Wheeljack.

"Oh, I'll be mad for some time yet," Wheeljack retorted. "But that doesn't mean I'll stop loving you."

"But I didn't do anything!" Smokescreen protested.

"You threw away my bombs!" Wheeljack screeched. "Every single one of them! I'll have to rebuild hundreds of explosives now!"

"Knock it off," Ultra Magnus snapped.

Wheeljack rolled her eyes. "You're just upset because you're too much of wimp to ask out Knock Out." She sped up to walk beside Optimus in an effort to get Ultra Magnus to not respond to her. "And now I don't have any bombs to set off in celebration of that moment!"

"Optimus, would you please explain to Wheeljack that I can't just ask Knock Out out because she just recently lost her husband and I would be taking advantage of her," Ultra Magnus said.

"I asked Ratchet out after she broke up with Ironhide," Optimus said with a shrug. "It worked out rather well for me."

"Minus the continuous anger management issues," Smokescreen muttered.

Optimus glanced at him. "She has gotten worse recently, but most of that can be attributed to her pregnancy. She always gets snappier when she's emotionally stressed, too, as a way to keep people from asking about her emotions. Besides, you'd be fooling yourself, Smokescreen, if you believe that the woman you'll fall in love with will be without faults. You'll love her all the more for her faults. I know I do."

"Would've been cute if Ratchet was here to hear that," Wheeljack said to him. She glanced at Smokescreen. "Your father knew he was going to marry a mad woman when it came to fire and bombs, but he accepted that craziness as me. Megatron must have had a lapse of mental health when he married Starscream."

Optimus felt something twist in his chest. Once upon a time, Megatron and Starscream had been his friends. Even now, after all the horrible things they had done, he was still upset to hear their mental capabilities mentioned in such a negative way.

"Megatron and Starscream were not always as they are now," he said sharply.

Wheeljack ducked her head. She sent him a telepathic message containing no words, but just an acknowledgement that she was sorry for speaking out. Ultra Magnus and Sideswipe immediately sobered up as well.

A high-pitched squealed filled the air. Years of war had trained Optimus in picking out such sounds and identifying them. While this one was slightly different from any other sound he had ever heard, he could guess at its purpose.

"Duck!" he ordered as there came a great burst of air.

He pulled Wheeljack down with him, ignoring her startled yelp and then grunt as she hit the ground. He twisted to see Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen pinned to the ground, entangled in a large net. Ultra Magnus's hammer and gun were useless against the material, as were Smokescreen's guns, but the teenager had a pocketknife hidden in his shoe and he began making his best effort to maneuver in the heavy netting to reach it.

Optimus pushed himself back to his feet as the edges of the clearing were suddenly filled with a dozen men in solid black body armor. A thirteenth man appeared, his face exposed; he had gray hair and jagged scars on his face. Without a word, Optimus slid the Star Saber off his back, having brought the ancient weapon in case of such an event.

"Silas," Optimus said in a low tone. Beside him, Wheeljack got to her feet, pulling out her samurai swords.

"Optimus Prime, what pleasant surprise to meet you here," he said with a grin. "And I've already got two test subjects. My last brainwashed alien was able to regain control, but I'm going to make sure that doesn't happen with you." He turned to his men. "Non-lethals, I want them alive."

The twelve men lifted their guns and Optimus heard switches being turned. With a sharp sound, the men fired tranquilizer darts. Optimus used the Star Saber to deflect the darts aimed for him. Wheeljack jumped into a sort of sideways cartwheel, her swords twirling. Darts shattered upon contact with her swords and she landed on her feet. Optimus could see that one dart had grazed her upper arm, but he doubted the tranquilizer would have any effect on her from such a wound. Unable to defend themselves due to the netting, Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen had been hit by some darts. Their bodies were limp and their eyes closed, but Optimus was sure they would sleep it off and be fine.

With a yell, Optimus spun around, Star Saber outstretched. A blue energy expanded from his position and the guns in the men's hands exploded upon contact with the energy.

Silas let out an enraged sound. "Take them out by any means necessary." He pointed at Optimus and Wheeljack. "The other two can be taken back to our base." He gestured at Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen.

Six of the men started toward the unconscious Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen. Wheeljack threw herself toward the net.

"You're not taking my son!" she yelled, slashing at the nearest MECH agent and he fell with a pained scream. The others regrouped around her, pulling out knives of varying sizes.

The remaining six agents went after Optimus. Even though these men were attempting to harm Optimus and his team, and were responsible for the death of Breakdown, Optimus was still hoping to avoid any causality given that they were just humans following orders.

He swept the Star Saber just above the ground, releasing another wave of energy. It knocked the six oncoming MECH agents down onto the ground – almost. The agent farthest away simply stumbled and then regained his balance. Pulling a knife, he was within lunging range faster than Optimus had expected.

Optimus dropped his sword and the two men grappled for a moment. Optimus was surprised at the strength of the man, and they covered a lot of ground, each trying to shove the other down to gain the advantage. With a grunt, Optimus managed to slam the agent against the boulder his team had originally walked from behind of. This action dislodged the helmet of the agent and it became crooked. Optimus figured he was unable to see correctly with the new position of the helmet and the agent jerked the helmet off.

Optimus stared in surprise at the face he was looking at. It a man with dirty blond hair and dark green eyes. It was a face Optimus had seen in memories that didn't belong to him.

"Jason Darby," he said.

"Surprised, Prime?" Jason sneered. "I've heard that you've got my ex-wife and son working for you. Not so pleasant to see a Darby who's not on your side, is it?"

Optimus, for no real reason, pulled Jason from the boulder and slammed him into it again. "You are a monster, if you would give up your wife and son for an organization like this."

"I don't regret it, not for one second."

"You are a corrupt man," Optimus said harshly.

"Corrupt I may be, but I am good at my job," Jason said with a triumphant smile.

Too late did Optimus remember Silas. He twisted, catching a glimpse of Silas lifting up something and immediately ducked, letting go of Jason. The man yelled and then thumped to the ground. Optimus, meanwhile, refocused on Silas as he stood. The MECH commander had stopped though, looking over at Wheeljack as she cut the now awake, albeit groggy, Smokescreen and Ultra Magnus from the net.

Silas turned his eyes toward Optimus, his gaze lowered. Optimus looked down to see the still body of Jason Darby. The man had been killed by the very commander he had given up everything else for. Silas threw down the gun he had been intending to use on Optimus.

"This isn't over Prime," he promised. "But I know when to cut my losses. We have other targets for today. I will come back for you and your family."

Optimus worked to keep his expression neutral. It was very unlikely that Silas knew that Optimus was married to Ratchet, considering that MECH had little to no intelligence on Ratchet. It was impossible that Silas knew that Ratchet was six months pregnant with Optimus's child. The Prime stood still, watching as the remaining MECH agents and Silas disappeared back into the woods from which they had come. Once they were gone, he retrieved the Star Saber.

He turned to the others. Ultra Magnus was standing under his own power, though he was leaning rather heavily on the boulder. Optimus got the feeling that Knock Out would scold him, check him over really well, and then proclaim she hated his guts before leaving him alone. The Prime knew that there was a lecture coming from Ratchet for sure.

Wheeljack threw her arms around Smokescreen. "Oh, you can throw away all the bombs you want, as long as you never leave me!"

"Mom, I can't breathe," Smokescreen wheezed. "But I love you, too."

Ultra Magnus glanced at Optimus. "Who do you think the other targets Silas mentioned were?"

"I do not know," Optimus admitted. "But I think it is time we returned home. The Energon, if there is any to be found out here as MECH could have been using an Energon signature to lead us into a trap, is not going anywhere."

* * *

Starscream walked through the woods as briskly as possible, pulling her wings close to her back to avoid hitting them on any underbrush or trees. Steve was walking along beside her. With a yelp, the Vehicon tripped and then hurried to regain his balance. Starscream found she didn't care enough to scold him for his failure – in fact, she didn't even find his tripping a failure like she would have in the past.

The princess was horrible at small talk, but, unable to stand the silence, she finally decided to give it a try. "I've noticed that you've been having Charlotte help you in the med-bay a lot."

"She just wants to keep busy since the death of Eddie," Steve replied with a smile. "She has really good control in her hands, despite the burns she suffered from the Star Saber. The death of her husband hit her hard, but she's recovering."

"I can see that you're not as devastated by Eddie's death as she is," Starscream said slyly.

"I…well, uh…okay, you're not wrong there," Steve admitted. "But I didn't want Eddie to die. I didn't even know Eddie or Charlotte until after Eddie died. I started liking Charlotte after I started helping her recover from the burns." He glanced at Starscream. "Besides, I don't think she likes me."

Ironically enough, Starscream had become good friends with Charlotte, even to the point where she called her Charlie. Starscream knew that Charlie liked Steve, but she wasn't going to be the in-between person for them. Instead, she gave Steve a neutral answer.

"Just kept talking to her and then you can find out how she really feels." Starscream paused, straightening up the silver circlet on her head.

The wind shifted the red bangs covering the right side of her face and, in the brief time both eyes were uncovered, she spotted something out of the corner of her right. Turning for a closer look, she was startled to see Silas emerge from the darkness. On pure instinct, she and Steve got back to back as eight other MECH agents surrounded, weapons up. Strangely enough, some of them bore gash marks or scraps on their armor, as if they had already seen a fight today.

"What do you want Silas?" Starscream snarled. She pulled her knives from her waist belt. Her wings twitched, ready to catapult her body out of danger.

"I want you," Silas said with a grin. "I believe you know that Breakdown went missing some time ago. I must admit that was a rather failed experiment, and I would like to have a success. I'm sure you understand the need to accomplish something in one's miserable life."

Starscream yelled in anger and jumped up into the air. Stretching her wingspan to its full length, she performed an aerial twirl; she had been the best flyer of the Seekers for many reasons, but some of those reasons were the gifts she possessed, known only by herself. She utilized one such gift now, and silver feathers shot from her wings, hardening into metallic fragments like high-projectile knives. Seven of the eight MECH agents went down as Starscream twisted in the air and landed back on her feet.

"You get that last agent. Silas is mine," Starscream snarled.

Without waiting to see if Steve had actually followed her orders, Starscream lunged at Silas. The MECH commander fired a weapon and Starscream hissed as it grazed her ribs, but she didn't stop. Her wings hardening just like the feathers she had weaponized, she slashed them at Silas. Gashes appeared on his face and chest and Starscream slammed him against a tree trunk, a knife at his throat. She expanded her wings behind her, her feathers returning to their normal composition.

"I didn't know Cybertronians could do that with their wings," Silas said.

"Seekers are given special abilities," Starscream replied in a hiss, pressing her knife against his throat. "I knew a man who could teleport, but he called it warping. I knew another who could create sonic booms that stunned enemies. Me? Well, I'm more than just a pretty face, Silas. Did you know I am a certified genius? My own mother was terrified of my brain. But that's not all."

She leaned in close. "My wings are my greatest gift. I'm the best flyer the Seekers have seen in generations. Not only can they do what you've seen today, but the very mutation of their size has been my greatest asset. These wings are, technologically, too large for my body, but this extra size allows me to be quicker and more agile in the air than any other flyer. I will always outfly you, Silas, and outsmart you. And I always win in the end."

"I have one thing to ask you, Starscream," Silas grunted. "Why are you killing me? Breakdown couldn't have meant that much to you."

Silas wasn't wrong. Breakdown did mean nothing to Starscream. But Knock Out had been one of the few friends Starscream had ever had, and she was nothing if not loyal to those who were loyal to her. She would avenge Breakdown; not for Breakdown himself, but for Knock Out. Steve walked up behind Starscream, and she knew that the eighth and final agent had been dealt with.

"MECH is no more, Leland Bishop."

Starscream made a slicing motion with her knife.

* * *

Optimus woke up to Ratchet's elbow in his ribs. The elbow was quickly removed, but then her heel was digging into his calf.

"What's going on?" Optimus asked, shifting so he could look at his wife.

Ratchet looked up at him, her blue-green eyes groggy. "Sorry, I couldn't get comfortable. My back is killing me." She shifted again, and Optimus once again had an elbow in his ribs. "And I can't exactly sleep on my stomach, now can I?"

"Can I do anything to help you?" Optimus asked. Looking after Ratchet had been his number one priority since the day he had met her.

"No." Ratchet made a grab for her glasses, fumbled the spectacles, and they clattered onto the floor. "Maybe."

Optimus passed her an extra pillow. "Put this under your lower back. It might help with the strain and you might finally be able to get to sleep."

"You're so helpful, my librarian," Ratchet snapped. Optimus couldn't decide if she was being serious, cranky from lack of sleep, or just currently in a foul mood.

Optimus sighed and closed his eyes, hoping to get back to sleep. Instead, he grunted as a pillow slammed into his face. Shoving the pillow away, Optimus looked back at Ratchet, only to find that his wife was no longer on the bed.

"Ratchet?" He set up, suddenly concerned.

Ratchet stood up, having been bent over to retrieve her glasses. "I can't sleep. I'm going to take a walk. Maybe it will stretch these muscles out."

"It is two in the morning," Optimus protested. "You need to be resting."

"Expect I'm not," Ratchet retorted. She crossed her arms across her chest. "I'm going for a walk. You can either go back to sleeping or go with me."

With that, she turned and walked toward the door. Optimus groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. With a sigh, Optimus rolled out of bed and followed his wife, unwilling to let her suffer a sleepless night alone. He quickly caught up to Ratchet and took her hand in his.

* * *

"So…should we wake them?"

"Magnus, that's a terrible idea and you know it," Knock Out said, hands on her hips.

Wheeljack just grinned and took a picture with the camera she had 'borrowed' from some random soldier. Ultra Magnus looked at Knock Out's expression, warning him not to wake them, and then wandered off to get some Energon.

Knock Out grinned at the sight. Optimus was sitting on the couch, his head tilted back as he slept. Ratchet was lying out on the couch, her head in Optimus's lap, also asleep.

"Fragging cute couple makes me want to purge," Knock Out muttered. She studied her nail polish, noting her left pinkie needed to be touched up. "Slag it, I'm waking them up just because I can."

* * *

 **Lots of stuff going on here. MECH is gone (avenging Breakdown in my own twisted way). Starscream has a lot of tricks up her sleeve...and she's still disillusioned with Megatron. And then the Autobots are just doing cute things at the end. I love writing Optimus and Ratchet where they don't have to be in their Autobot Leader and Chief Medical Officer personas...they're so cute :)**

 **Also, two chapters in one night as an early Christmas present. Merry Christmas, everyone.**

 **Dear readers, reviews are helpful and appreciated...**


	21. Chapter 21

Wheeljack groaned, contemplating whether dropping her end of the couch she was carrying and walking away was worth the risk of Ratchet coming after her with a wrench. While she was sure she could outrun the seven-month pregnant medic, she knew that Ratchet was a sly and resourceful woman who would eventually get her revenge just when Wheeljack was beginning to think she had gotten over it.

In the end, it was the thought that she might hurt Bulkhead if she suddenly let go of her end that stopped her from deserting. Bulkhead was, of course, strong enough to lift the couch by himself, but if he wasn't prepare to take the weight, then his muscles could stretch and possibly tear. That, of course, would only serve to add fuel to the fire of Ratchet's temper.

"On the count of three, set it down," Bulkhead said. "One –"

"- two, three!" Wheeljack gushed way too quickly, practically throwing the couch down. Fortunately for her, years of working with and being married to her had Bulkhead prepared for such antics and he went along with her smoothly and without question. Wheeljack turned to Ratchet, whose blue-green eyes were surveying the entirety of the base. "Is this where you want the couch?"

"Perhaps we should put it over there." She pointed in the direction she was talking about.

Wheeljack briefly imagined throwing a grenade. Nothing vented her frustration or anger like an explosion, especially when something or someone exploded in said explosion. To clarify, the someone had to be an enemy, not a friend or innocent. Taking a deep breath, Wheeljack refrained from wasting a grenade, as her explosives collection was still rather small after Smokescreen's intervention.

"That's right where we started," Wheeljack pointed out. Her tone suggested she thought that Ratchet was an idiot, and she reflected that may not have be the best tone to use on a temperamental and pregnant medic who was actually smarter than her.

"But it just looks best over there, don't you think? Actually, I don't want your opinion. Just put the couch back," Ratchet said. She turned, glasses flashing, and watched as Sideswipe and Raf ran around in a game of tag.

"Alright, Jackie, let's put the couch back," Bulkhead said to Wheeljack.

Wheeljack lifted the couch again. Ratchet had been rearranging the past three days, moving items around only to end up putting them back where they had originated. While it had initially been small items, like datapads or a knife, today had been spent lugging around a television, coffee table, and couch, all of which were being returned to their former positions.

"I should have taken Ultra Magnus up on his offer to patrol," Wheeljack muttered.

"Knock Out volunteered rather quickly to go with him," Bulkhead commented.

"Knock Out's business is her own," Wheeljack told him.

"I saw Knock Out bring Ratchet some Energon yesterday, and she offered to help Raf with his homework," Bulkhead continued. "Maybe she's changing."

"Don't expect a full resurrection of her character," Wheeljack warned. "She still threatened to kill Miko when she was playing her guitar in the base again. She also had a full meltdown this morning about a chip in her nail polish. She most likely only agreed to go with Magnus because her nails were dry and because she didn't want to move furniture around."

They set the couch down, this time without a countdown. "Well, maybe that makes her smarter than both of us, through it wouldn't take much to be smarter than me."

"There are other important things to have in a being than just intelligence," Wheeljack said, flopping down onto the couch. "I love you for your heart, Bulk, not your smarts."

Bulkhead set down beside and grinned. "I guess you have enough smarts for the two of us."

"Oh, Primus, do you two have to be so lovey-dovey?" Smokescreen whined from where he was hiding from the younger and rambunctious Sideswipe under the coffee table. Wheeljack was pretty sure Smokescreen was collecting materials so he could just live under the coffee table.

"Get out from under there!" Ratchet snapped, walking up and kicking the leg of coffee table. "And take your fragging pillows and pretzels with you."

With a whine, Smokescreen rolled out from under the coffee table, clutching a bag of pretzels that Miko had brought to base yesterday. He set up, reached under the table to get a pillow, and then got up and walked away. Wheeljack snorted in amusement as Sideswipe immediately saw him and ran up to him, begging him to join the game of tag.

"It's like living with a turbofox," Ratchet muttered, walking off again. Wheeljack wondered when the last time she had stood still had been. Not in the last month, for sure.

"How would she know what living with a turbofox is like?" Bulkhead asked.

"Rich families could afford fancy pets," Wheeljack reminded him. "Remember when we had that Ene-carp?" Ene-carp were rather inexpensive aquatic Cybertronian life forms.

"He didn't last very long," Bulkhead said.

"No. I suppose dropping a sparking invention into his tank wasn't the best thing for him."

* * *

Ultra Magnus took point, glancing back over his shoulder to check on the other members of his team. Arcee was right behind him, stepping silently and blue eyes surveying mostly to the left. Knock Out was in the back, red eyes narrowed as she kept checking behind her. The Autobot second in command suddenly wondered if it was strange for her to be back in a Decepticon mine, as an Autobot this time instead of a Decepticon.

Hearing a fluttering of wings, Ultra Magnus glanced up and ducked instinctively. Arcee hissed, dodging as well. Knock Out moved closer to the rock wall, her staff appearing in her hands. Ultra Magnus had finally discovered that she kept the staff attached to the belt loop of her red pants in the form of a small rod, which expanded when she needed a weapon.

"Bats," Arcee informed the others.

After the colony of bats had flown over, Ultra Magnus noticed a single bat, flying way behind the mass of the colony. The bat was large, and its wings made a slightly different sound than the others. Finally, Ultra Magnus realized the bat wasn't screeching like the rest of the colony, meaning it wasn't using echolocation, meaning…

"That's not a bat!" Knock Out cried, running forward to stand beside Arcee.

With a harsh caw, the raven dived and then spread its wings and stretched out its claws as it aimed for the Autobots. Ultra Magnus ducked, and twisted around after Laserbeak had overshot him in time to see Arcee knock the Mini-Con out of the air with the handle of a knife. The raven squeaked as it hit the mine wall and then thudded to the ground.

"We have to go," Knock Out gasped out. "Soundwave will know we're here."

Ultra Magnus sent a quick telepathic message, only to get a distorted feeling as the message seemed to rebound and repeat in his own head. Arcee rubbed her temples, frowning, and clearly feeling the same thing. Knock Out's Energon staff crackled to life, a sign she was on edge.

"Keep sharp," Ultra Magnus told his team. "Soundwave has put telepathic blocks on us. We can expect to engage him or a Vehicon army very soon."

Footfalls began echoing through the mining tunnel. "Laserbeak is never far from Soundwave," Knock Out muttered, glancing at the huddled form of the still Mini-Con.

"We need a plan," Arcee insisted. Her knives flashed as she shifted them in anticipation for the upcoming fight.

"If Soundwave is here, we hit him hard and hope to distract him long enough for someone to contact Optimus or Ratchet," Ultra Magnus said evenly, glancing at the Energon crystals beside him. Guns were not the weapon to use around such explosive material, and he instead took his hammer into his hands. "If he's not here, we deal with the Vehicons and then find our way out of here and hopefully put enough distance between ourselves and Soundwave to weaken his blocks."

Ultra Magnus tightened his grip on the hammer handle, the weight of the weapon comforting in his hands, as the footsteps grew closer. Arcee dropped into a fighting crouch, knives held at ready. Knock Out put her weight on her toes, ready to spring out of the way or into the fray. Her staff was held at an angle that Ultra Magnus knew meant she was prepared to twirl it in any direction. Speaking from experience, he knew a single hit from that staff was enough to take out any 'Con.

The Vehicons rounded the corner. The first had a brief face-to-face with a golden hammer before a face-to-face with the ground. The second didn't fare much better, as Ultra Magnus swung his hammer in from the left to catch him on his shoulder and slam him into the wall. The third Vehicon met a swift end at the hands of Arcee, as did the fourth. The fifth and sixth Vehicons made it past the two veteran Autobots, hesitated just a little too long at the sight of their old medic, and were defeated after Knock Out jabbed her Energon staff into each of their chests, sending them down with shrieks.

Ultra Magnus turned to the seventh Vehicon with a threatening growl. The Vehicon yelped, dropped his weapons, and then retreated down the tunnel as fast as possible, shifting into a lynx to make himself a smaller target.

"That was easy," Arcee said.

Ultra Magnus felt uneasy. It was a defeat that was too easily won. Hearing a gasp and the clatter of the Energon staff dropping, he spun around to see that Soundwave had arrived, unannounced, in total silence. He had Knock Out in a tight hold, a slim and dark sword to her throat. The staff continued to crackle as it lay at their feet, the blue energy reflected darkly in Soundwave's visor.

"Release her," Ultra Magnus growled.

A flicker of silver appeared on Soundwave's visor, forming the outline of Starscream. Her voice was projected from the silent Cybertronian straight into the minds of the others. #She's a traitor. It's best we all move on and forget Knock Out.#

"How about you just forget you saw all of us and let us go?" Arcee asked sharply. If she was trying to be diplomatic, her tone was way off.

The silver shifted into Megatron. #I want the Autobot medic, by any means necessary. Optimus would give me the very AllSpark to save his wife and child.#

"I knew Airachnid had told them that Ratchet was pregnant," Arcee spat. "Even in death she still continues to cause us problems!"

Ultra Magnus glanced at her, checking that she was keeping her temper in check and wasn't springing at Soundwave. That would be disastrous for both Knock Out and Arcee. He shifted his gaze back to the Decepticon and former Decepticon once he was satisfied Arcee was keeping her emotions reigned in.

With a yell, Knock Out threw herself forward, using her own weight to gain momentum, and simultaneously reached out with one foot to hit the end of her dropped staff. The live end shot up and hit Soundwave's shoulder. Sparks caught Knock Out, and she collapsed while Soundwave staggered back. Even though the shock must have hurt like the Pit, he remained mute. Ultra Magnus had heard rumors that Soundwave had no face, which is why he didn't talk and always wore the visor that hid his face, or lack of a face.

With an enraged shout, Arcee threw herself at Soundwave, taking advantage of his distraction to get in a few slashes before Soundwave deflected a knife away with his slender wing and brought his own sword to bear, meeting her blow for blow.

Ultra Magnus crouched down beside Knock Out, keeping his hammer close. The redhead was already recovering, rolling over to look at him with her ruby eyes.

"This dust is so ruining my jeans," she hissed. "And the humidity is curling my hair. Also, that fragging staff really hurts!" This was followed by a curse word in French.

Ultra Magnus relaxed. If Knock Out was complaining, then she was fine. He never thought he'd find complaining comforting, but he supposed it was like Optimus grinning whenever he heard Ratchet yell. If she was yelling, then she was fine and right there by his side; the temperament was Optimus's tell for if his wife was alright. It was time to be concerned when Knock Out did not complain.

Arcee cried out as Soundwave knocked her aside. Before Ultra Magnus had time to register just how close the Decepticon was, he'd been smacked with a wing. The general slammed into a wall, and Energon trickled from a burst lip. He sagged, watching as Soundwave pulled Knock Out to her feet by her shoulders.

Megatron was etched in silver on the visor again. #No Breakdown around to protect you?# The tone was harsh, angry, and mocking.

Knock Out screamed in anger and reached for the visor. With a sickening and echoing crack, the visor guarding Soundwave's face broke and clattered to the ground. Ultra Magnus had seen many things in the war, even in the corrupt Cybertron before the war, but all the rumors had heard had been off, not touching the real horror of the visor or silence.

Dark green eyes glared at the redhead locked in his grip. Scars crisscrossed the orbs, leaving behind jagged lines of gray. His nose was mostly intact, though one nostril was deformed, as if from an injury that had healed incorrectly, and Ultra Magnus was reminded of Soundwave's gladiator history. But his mouth…the lips were swollen, and Ultra Magnus could see where the stitches had just been ripped out. Glancing at the visor on the ground, he could see where the stitches had connected to the visor, meaning that when Knock Out had ripped the visor free, she'd also…

…ripped the stitches free.

Knock Out recoiled as Soundwave leaned toward her, dark green eyes full of hate. Ultra Magnus pushed himself to his feet, leaning against the mine wall. He could see Arcee slowly standing behind Soundwave, closer to the communications officer than he himself was.

Lips moved, an Energon-covered tongue twitched. "Do you remember who put these stitches in place?" The voice was wheezy with lack of use, but powerful all the same. "Originally, I was mute by choice and I wore the visor by choice. But then, to punish me for supporting a so-called rebellion, it was decided I needed to be silenced permanently. After all, who would notice if the mute was even more mute?"

Ultra Magnus took a step forward, and his hammer was in reach. Arcee had recovered her knives.

"Do you know what happens to silenced telepaths?" Soundwave spat, Energon splattering from his torn lips. "They become even more powerful!"

A powerful wave of something torn through Ultra Magnus's mind. He sagged under the mental attack, but managed to keep his feet. His head felt like it was being boiled, his brain bubbling too hot. Pain shot through his spine and nervous system, and his vision blacked out. With a lurch of horror, the general realized he couldn't tell if this was just a mental attack, or if Soundwave was plucking information from his mind.

Squinting, Ultra Magnus checked on the rest of his team. Acree had fallen to her knees, her hands to her head. Her mouth was open in a silent scream. Knock Out was completely unconscious, her head lolling and body limp in Soundwave's grasp. The closer to the 'Con, the stronger the attack must be.

Ultra Magnus made a grab for his hammer and missed, his fingers barely grazing the handle. Fueled by a frustration at being helpless for the first time in his life, he lunged and managed to snag the handle. The weight of the weapon nearly threw him off-balance as he lifted it, a phenomenon that he had never before experienced.

He began walking toward Soundwave, every step a battle. His brain felt too hot and way too painful, like someone was churning through it, searching for something. Flames of pain wracked through his nervous system.

Soundwave appeared unconcerned as he dropped Knock Out and turned toward Arcee, putting his back to Ultra Magnus. As he neared Arcee, she cried out and then collapsed, her fingers on her temples. That yell of pain was exactly what Ultra Magnus needed.

Hearing his teammate in such agony sent a different fire burning through his body. His hammer no longer felt awkward, but like it should have, well-balanced and deadly. He surged forward, lifting his hammer. His mind was still being attacked, but his body was not affected.

The golden hammer slammed into Soundwave's side as the lanky man started to turn toward Ultra Magnus, sending him tumbling down. Immediately, the mental attack cut off with a strange screeching noise deep in Ultra Magnus's skull. Before Soundwave could recover, Ultra Magnus dropped his hammer on his chest and pulled out his large pistol, which he pointed at Soundwave's forehead.

"For a gladiator, you go down pretty easy," he said.

Soundwave grinned. "I got what I needed. Your minds were weak, unsheltered."

Ultra Magnus kicked the hammer off Soundwave and put his foot on his chest instead, leaning down a little closer. "Just what do you think you found?"

"Everything," Soundwave replied.

Ultra Magnus fired the gun. He stepped back from the eternally silenced Decepticon and put his gun away. Grabbing his hammer, he said, "Nothing. You found nothing."

Turning away, he offered a hand to Arcee as she groggily set up with a groan. When she took his hand, he pulled her to her feet. She rubbed her head, frowning.

"That was absolutely terrible," she muttered. She turned to gather up the knives she had dropped.

Ultra Magnus walked over to Knock Out. She was still unconscious, and her red hair was falling from her tidy ponytail. Her breathing was strong, and she seemed unharmed, but Ultra Magnus had no way of checking for any mental damage that may have occurred.

A groundbridge swirled to life, and Ultra Magnus looked up as Arcee stooped down beside him to put up Knock Out's Energon staff.

"Ratchet is waiting for us," she said, voice emotionless, before turning to be silhouetted against the green vortex.

Ultra Magnus carefully lifted Knock Out up in his arms, her head on his shoulder. He followed Arcee back to their base, kicking Soundwave's visor out of the way, where it spun over to hit the wall beside the still form of Laserbeak.

* * *

Knock Out stepped into the main room of the hanger, looking around. Optimus and Ratchet were talking quietly together near the monitors, their postures relaxed. Optimus absently reached out to straighten Ratchet's glasses; she didn't even blink but continued on as if there hadn't been a disturbance. Wheeljack and Bulkhead were snacking on a combination of pretzels and Energon as they set on the couch. Jack and Raf were attempting to do homework, while Miko distracted them. Smokescreen was stomping around the room, yelling for Sideswipe to bring back his sunglasses. Knock Out had no idea where her son was, but it wouldn't have surprised her if he was indeed the guilty party.

"If you're looking for Magnus, he's in the practice room!" Wheeljack called, waving at Knock Out.

"Thanks" Knock Out replied. She was distracted by Ratchet and Optimus as they approached. "You're limping," she commented to Ratchet.

The other medic shrugged. "I kicked a chair. I think I scared Fowler, because he dropped his hamburger and then left."

 _I'm fairly sure Fowler left because Ratchet was yelling one minute and then incredibly polite the next. She couldn't decide whether to insult or complement him, so he left. I think he muttered something about politicians in D.C. being easier to understand._

Knock Out grinned, amused. Ratchet narrowed her eyes and then punched Optimus's arm.

"My foolish librarian, when are you going to realize I can tell when you talk about me telepathically?" she snipped.

"You ever think I do it to get your attention?"

"Did you two come over here for a reason?" Knock Out interjected. If they thought she was just going to stand around and listen to their banter, they were gravely mistaken.

"How do you feel?' Ratchet asked.

"Fine," Knock Out told her. "I'm a medic, too, so I think I can tell when I'm recovered or not."

Ratchet huffed. "Who had the higher grades at the Academy?"

"Not the point of the slagging conversation!" Knock Out jabbed a finger in the general direction of Ratchet's face.

"She's fine," Ratchet declared. She spun on her heel, much more slowly than she had seven months ago, and walked off. "Primus, Bulkhead, get your muddy shoes off my couch! Miko, do your homework and leave Raf alone!"

"It's not your couch," Bulkhead muttered at the same time Miko sang, "Yes, Mother," and Jack said, "She's bothering me, too, if anyone cares."

"I better go deal with that," Optimus said, retreating as well. "I'm glad you are unharmed, Knock Out."

"Me too," Knock Out muttered. Pushing away the sudden negative feelings, she turned and briskly walked toward the practice room.

Arcee was hacking into a dummy with a flurry of attacks, digging in deeply and slashing wildly, all the while yelling in anger. Ultra Magnus was standing near the door, watching her. His arms were sort of crossed, with one hand reaching up as his fingers rested on his bearded chin. When he saw Knock Out, he gave the smallest of smiles.

Knock Out had originally thought, upon joining the Autobots, that Arcee and Ultra Magnus often hung together because there was an attraction between them. Now she realized that the attraction wasn't a romantic one. The two stayed near each one another so they didn't feel left out among the other members of their team.

Optimus had Ratchet and their soon-to-be-born child, Bulkhead had Wheeljack and Smokescreen, Fowler sort of had June, and the human kids were a close knit bunch – even Knock Out had her son. Arcee had a dead boyfriend and a dead fiancé, and Ultra Magnus…well, Knock Out wasn't sure that he had ever had anybody.

She walked over to him and stood beside him. She put one hand on her hip, decided that could be perceived as sassy or uncaring (she was good at those two), and instead just settled for crossing her arms. She struggled to come up with something to say that didn't sound selfish or stupid.

"I'm glad to see you awake and functional," Ultra Magnus said kindly.

Knock Out relaxed, letting her arms fall to her sides. Nothing could sound as unromantic as that statement. "I suppose I have you to thank for that. Thank you." She wasn't sure she had ever thanked anyone until she joined the Autobots.

"It was nothing."

Knock Out shook her head. "It wasn't nothing. The second I looked into those scarred, green eyes, I knew I was going to die, or at least never be myself again. You saved me."

"You're welcome," Ultra Magnus replied with a genuine grin. "I'm glad I did."

Knock Out winked at him. "I'm glad you did, too. I am pretty fabulous, aren't I?"

"You're a real knock out," he deadpanned. She frowned, unable to tell if he was joking or not, and he touched her wrist. "How about we leave Arcee alone to finish decapitating that dummy?"

"I think I could live with that," Knock Out responded. She slipped her hand into his, trying not to giggle outright when he said nothing and the two of them walked toward the door.

The two of them stopped just inside the main room. Wheeljack caught sight of their joined hands and then grinned at Knock Out, flashing her a thumbs-up. Bulkhead just looked startled and then confused when he noticed.

From behind Knock Out and Ultra Magnus came Sideswipe. "Momma, Momma, help!" The eight year old glanced back in terror at the large, white dog chasing after him.

Sideswipe tried to take shelter behind Knock Out, but she moved, letting go of Ultra Magnus's hand. "You are not hiding behind me. Give those sunglasses back to Smokescreen!" She pointed at the sunglasses sitting on top of Sideswipe's head.

"No!" Sideswipe tore off across the main bay, Smokescreen chasing him.

"There's a disaster on the way," Ultra Magnus warned, pointing at where the two youths were running.

"Sideswipe!" Knock Out yelled, trying to get her son to stop. At the same moment, Wheeljack screamed, "Smokescreen, stop!"

Sideswipe plowed into Optimus's legs, the sunglasses clattering to the floor. The Prime staggered but then recovered, turning to face the child. Smokescreen skittered right, attempting to shift, but his paws couldn't catch enough traction on the concrete, and he rolled into Ratchet's legs. Before she could fall, he finished his transformation and grabbed her before steadying her.

Ratchet jerked out of his touch. She glared at the two kids. "You two aft-heads!" she spat. The rest of the rant was in Cybertronian, leaving Jack and Raf confused and Miko bummed that she couldn't understand, but Knock Out herself winced at certain words or threats.

Suddenly, Ratchet cut off, as if truly noticing just how scared and sorry the two rambunctious Cybertronians looked. Switching back into English, she said, "You know what? I'm sorry. I overreacted. All is forgiven and I'm sorry if I scared you." She ruffled Sideswipe's hair, smiling. "Let's go see if I can find some Energon treats for you two. Come on." Optimus raised his eyebrows in surprise, his mouth gaping just a bit.

Sideswipe followed without question – Knock Out knew her son's sweet tooth was his greatest weakness – but Smokescreen hesitated. "You're being nice to us."

"Aren't I always nice?" Ratchet asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, of course," Smokescreen said quickly.

As the trio walked out of the main room of the hanger, Knock Out turned to Ultra Magnus. "Well," she commented, "mood swings can have positive effects. Who knew?"

Ultra Magnus just pointed at something out in the room. Knock Out turned to see that Optimus had picked up the sunglasses and was wearing them. He turned to Wheeljack as she walked over, leaving Bulkhead to himself.

"How do I look?" he asked.

"Give me those," Wheeljack said, removing the sunglasses from the Prime's head. "I'll give those to Smokescreen, if Ratchet doesn't change her mind and poison the Energon treats."

* * *

Megatron stormed into the bridge of the _Nemesis_. He was followed by Dreadwing and Shockwave. Starscream was standing at the communications console. While Cybertronians could communicate individually through mental connections, visualizing a place meant whoever was near that spot got the message. Megatron wasn't exactly sure what the Autobots used, but the Decepticons used the communications console, making sure someone was always posted there.

"Soundwave is dead," Megatron announced.

"I heard, as is one Mini-Con and six Vehicon soldiers," Starscream replied. "Steve and Charlotte are retrieving the dead as we speak."

Megatron wasn't sure who Charlotte was, probably some Vehicon, but he knew Steve was the ship medic. As for the dead that Starscream had mentioned, they did not matter.

"You should show more respect for the fallen third in command," Shockwave snarled, single red eye flashing. "He doesn't deserve to be lumped together with mere Vehicons."

"Hey, you cycloptic freak, many of those Vehicons are leaving behind wives or husbands or children," Starscream hissed, silver wings flaring just the tiniest bit. "Soundwave didn't leave behind a broken family. Those Vehicons sacrifice more on a daily basis than you realize!"

"Since when did you care about such lowly matters as the Vehicons?" Shockwave asked, voice hard.

"Enough!" Both of them fell silent and turned to Dreadwing as he added, "We should listen to Lord Megatron and follow his lead on how we should proceed."

Seizing the opportunity, Megatron admitted, "The Autobots are willing to do anything to protect their medic. They killed Airachnid and Hardshell –"

"No loss there," Starscream muttered.

"– and now Soundwave and Laserbeak," Megatron finished.

"Sounds like a bad time to have a pet," Shockwave commented, perhaps attempting a form of dark humor. No one laughed.

Megatron gave him a silencing look. "Soundwave will be given a proper Cybertronian burial," he announced, "but first, we have an important question to consider. Soundwave could go beyond merely communicating with somebody – he could force his way into their mind and pluck out any information he wanted, or completely rewire their brain to make them into who he wanted." Turning to Starscream he asked, "Did Soundwave share any critical information before his death?"

"He shared nothing, my lord," she replied. "The last I heard from him, he was commenting on the death of Laserbeak."

Megatron looked at her. He could always tell when Starscream was lying, and he was sure she wasn't this time, her gaze sharp and daring him to accuse her of lying. She'd only appear that confident if she was indeed telling the truth, even as despairing of a truth it was.

"Let me know when those Vehicons return with his body," he ordered. "Shockwave, I believe you have some work to do, and Dreadwing, send out a patrol and check the perimeter around the _Nemesis_. I do not wish to be interrupted as we send our loyal comrade to Primus."

* * *

Starscream frowned as she walked through the semi-dark halls of the _Nemesis_. It was as if Megatron intended to keep everything dark and gloomy as if to remind his followers that only he could bring the light by ending the war.

Or maybe she was reading too much into the man who was her husband, but not her love.

Starscream wasn't even sure when she had stopped loving the former gladiator. Looking back on it, she decided it must have been when she had learned that Megatron had been responsible for the death of her friends when he ordered the bombing of Vos and then blamed the Autobots.

The Autobots, who were now proving just how far they were willing to go to protect that expecting medic. Starscream was actually somewhat thrilled at the prospect of a new Cybertronian, the last child being Sideswipe. She wasn't even particularly upset that the child was Optimus and Ratchet's.

Starscream burst into the med-bay, looking around. Charlotte and Steve were in the process of identifying the dead. Starscream looked at the body closest to her and recognized the burn marks on the armor. Knock Out seemed to have fully fallen into the Autobot fold, and Starscream was surprised by the sadness she felt at that thought. Truly, she needed better friends than vain Knock Out, which was why she now spent her time with Charlotte and Steve.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your friends," she said, and then she gave Steve a pat on the shoulder. "I'm sorry that Austin died. He was a good soldier."

Starscream hated the way Megatron refused to learn the names of his many soldiers. He even made them as identitiless as possible by referring to them as Vehicons in general. He gave them the worst jobs and never even blinked an eye when they were killed, whether by the Autobots or in a mining accident. Starscream had been trying to make up for his lack of care by learning the names of many Vehicons and referring to them by their names. Most of them had human names, and she thought it was because they had attempted to gain a new identity after Megatron had removed theirs upon Cybertron by refusing to learn any names that didn't belong to his officers.

Steve just sighed. "My brother would have wanted to die in battle, Starscream. I think it dishonors him if I get upset at him for fighting so much."

Charlotte grabbed his hand. "You can't blame yourself for reacting as any grieving sibling would. I blamed Eddie for his death, for the way he just threw himself into dangerous situations, but I eventually moved past blaming people. You will, too."

"No, you won't," Starscream said sharply, "because Megatron deserves the blame."

Steve and Charlotte looked at her, uncertainty showing in their red eyes. Starscream didn't even mind that they didn't understand what she was implementing, because everyone would understand when the time was right. Megatron deserved the blame for many needless deaths, and Starscream was beginning to realize just what side she truly wanted to lay her life down for – her own, and she'd fight until she got there.

Steve cleared his throat. "Princess Starscream, did Soundwave share anything with you before his death?"

Starscream clucked her tongue, touching her fingers to her head as if in thought. Her fingertips grazed the cool metal of her silver circlet. "You know, I think he might have…but forgetful me, I can't recall what it was. I should have written it down. Oh well, it probably doesn't matter."

Turning away from the mirroring shocked expressions on Steve and Charlotte, she turned and began to walk toward the med-bay exit, her heels clicking on the floor.

Megatron wasn't as good at reading her as he thought.

And Starscream wasn't a servant who simply ran messages and tasks whenever he asked her to.

* * *

 **I have returned, and with a longer chapter than any of my previous! A lot of perspectives here, but there were a lot of things I wanted to touch on before moving forward.**

 **Thanks to all the readers who have Followed and Favorited this story.**


	22. Chapter 22

"I'm just going to take a rest for a bit," Ratchet puffed, pointing at a boulder jutting from the ground with a flat top. Optimus grabbed her elbow and put another stabling arm on her upper back and helped her ease down onto the cool stone before sitting down beside her.

"Should I contact base and ask them to open a groundbridge?" Optimus asked.

"I'm not ready to go back," Ratchet responded, leaning against Optimus. "I just need to sit for a bit."

Optimus wrapped an arm around Ratchet's waist, gently placing a hand on her swollen belly. At eight months pregnant, she wasn't going to get much larger and he was excited as every day brought him closer to being a father.

Something bumped into his palm and he looked at Ratchet's stomach in surprise.

"It moved!"

"That was a kick," Ratchet told him. "And our baby is going to be a boy. Mother's intuition."

"Ratchet intuition," Optimus corrected with a chuckle. "You are always right."

"Even when I'm wrong," Ratchet agreed. "Thank you for coming with me."

"I was not going to let you wander about in the wilderness on your own," Optimus insisted. "Besides, I fully trust Ultra Magnus to handle any situations that occur. If it gets too bad, he can always contact us."

"Ultra Magnus could definitely handle anything, especially as Knock Out would be right there at his side," Ratchet added with a smile.

"I must admit that attraction blindsided me," Optimus said. "But if they are happy, then who are we to judge them?"

Ratchet just let out a thoughtful hum. "It would have been nice if people had felt that way when we started seeing each other."

"The High Council had other things on their agenda than your happiness," Optimus agreed. "But I do not."

"But you do, Optimus. You have a war to fight and win."

"Would victory not bring you happiness?" Optimus asked.

"An end to the endless battles would bring me happiness," Ratchet told him. "I don't care if the Autobots win or if you and Megatron form a truce, however unlikely a scenario that would be."

"I would do anything to keep you and our child safe," Optimus promised. "I would do everything in my power to make sure the world is safe for the two of you."

Ratchet reached out and grabbed his free hand, which had been resting on his leg. "Optimus, just remember that I would rather live in an unsafe world _with_ you than a safe world _without_ you."

Optimus didn't say anything to that, but instead just squeezed her hand. He placed his cheek on top of her head, her strawberry blonde hair soft against his skin. She smelled like Optimus had always remembered, something that mad

* * *

e him think of Cybertron and the life he had had in the peaceful and good moments before the war. He wasn't able to exactly pinpoint the scent – some sort of mixture of cinnamon and honey – but it always calmed him.

He did know that Ratchet would rather live in a world with him, regardless of the risks, but that wasn't the line of thinking Optimus had. Optimus would rather that Ratchet and his child were safe, no matter if he had to give his life to ensure that reality.

"Come on. If we go just a little farther, we can see the sun set from a cliff overlooking the Buffalo River," Ratchet said. Optimus figured there was a good chance that she knew his inner thoughts, and he was grateful to her for letting it go.

She wiggled out of Optimus's embrace and stood, glancing back at him. Knowing full well he couldn't leave her alone, he got up with a small smile and followed her. Ratchet hadn't been lying, and in a short while the two were standing on a cliff overlooking the green forest of the Ozark Mountains with the Buffalo River winding through the landscape. The sun was beginning to set, the landscape bathed in a warm, golden glow.

"It's amazing," Ratchet said. "It's beautiful. We didn't have anything like it on Cybertron."

"No, we did not," Optimus agreed. "But Cybertron was beautiful in its own right."

"I know it was," Ratchet replied with a sigh. "I don't think we'll ever see it again, my librarian. I used to be upset about that, I used to despise everything about this planet just because it wasn't Cybertron. But then we met Raf, Jack, and Miko and June, and I guess Fowler too, and I just…I realized it was possible to begin to think of another place as your home."

Optimus smiled at her. "The humans have a saying. Home is where the heart is."

"I thought their hearts were encased within their rib cage," Ratchet said in confusion.

"Their metaphorical heart, I believe," Optimus clarified. "It means that your home is where the people you love are. We do not have anyone left on Cybertron. Everything we love is here."

"Our home is here," Ratchet finished. "Our family."

Optimus shifted, the peace of the day suddenly feeling wrong. The quiet wasn't peaceful anymore, but suppressed. He glanced around, aware that he and Ratchet had left the base without any weapons. Ratchet picked up on his mood and began looking around as well. She began backing up from the cliff, instinctively heading toward the cover of the woods.

"Ratchet, no!"

The warning came too late and Optimus watched as the peregrine falcon that dove from the treetops shifted in Starscream and landed behind Ratchet. Before his wife had time to respond, Starscream had her arms wrapped around her, as well as her wings.

Optimus took one step toward her when he sensed the oncoming being. Spinning around, he was tackled by Megatron. Unbalanced, he felt a flash of concern for the outcome of the fight as he was thrown to the ground. Megatron wasn't paying much attention to him, however, and instead yelled at Starscream.

"Get that medic subdued!"

"But that means I have to fight her," Starscream retorted. "She doesn't even have a weapon. That would be unfair."

Optimus kicked Megatron's legs out from under him before he could respond. The two men rolled across the ground, both trying to gain the upper hand. Megatron's gun became wedged under the warlord's own wing after Optimus ripped it from his hands.

"Should I give Ratchet one of my knives? Then it would be a fair fight."

"Shut up, Starscream!" Megatron growled.

Optimus glanced over to see that Starscream and Ratchet were standing beside one another as if they were friends rather than enemies. Starscream did not seem interested in fighting the pregnant woman, but rather was watching the fight as if she was bored. Ratchet, however, was the perfect image of a concerned wife.

That glance was just the advantage Megatron wanted. While Optimus was ever so briefly distracted, he pinned him and pointed his gun right at him. "Be sure to tell Primus hello for me, Prime."

"No!" Ratchet tried to hurry over, but Starscream grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

Optimus felt something cold and metallic settled in his palm. Without thinking, he swung the perfectly balanced blade and hit Megatron across the head broadside. With a grunt of pain, Megatron collapsed next to Optimus. Kicking him away from good measure, Optimus stood and marched toward Starscream and Ratchet, the Star Saber glowing in his hands. He had been unaware that he could summon the sword, but he wasn't going to question it now.

Starscream shoved Ratchet forward. "Here, take her. I don't want her."

With an angry snarl, Megatron sprang. His aim wasn't Optimus, however, and Optimus felt his stomach drop in fear when he realized where Megatron was aiming, a sword in his hand. Ratchet cried out when he pierced her abdomen, looking more shocked than anything. Starscream shrieked, pushing her bangs behind her ear so Optimus could see the horror in both of her eyes. Optimus felt everything freeze, including himself.

Whenever a Cybertronian was hurt badly enough, they sent out an automatic message to those they were closest with. Optimus felt Ratchet's mental distress call, every bit of her mind suddenly open to him, including who the other person receiving her call was. Optimus didn't even stop to question why he was suddenly connected with Raf, but just rushed forward as Megatron stepped back from Ratchet.

A groundbridge swirled to life as Ratchet started to collapse, her hands on her stomach. Energon was staining her hands and the white shirt she was wearing. Dropping the Star Saber, which disappeared in a flash, Optimus caught her in his arms. Her blue-green eyes fluttered.

"Ratchet, you have to stay with me," Optimus begged. "Stay awake, my lady."

It was too late and Ratchet's head lolled. Megatron was coming closer again, but Starscream hissed and spread her wings at the same moment and Megatron howled in anger as he was buffeted by gleaming, silver feathers. Starscream cried out in pain as Megatron slashed at her wing in his rage.

Optimus took advantage of the momentary distraction and picked Ratchet up as best he could, careful of her belly. He ran into the groundbridge and was immediately met by Knock Out and Ultra Magnus. Something flashed in Knock Out's ruby eyes, her gaze hardening. Ultra Magnus looked horrified.

"Ratchet!" Raf yelled.

Optimus barely registered Raf being wrapped into June's embrace. He was only aware of Ratchet's head on his shoulder, the Energon dripping on the floor from the wound in her enlarged abdomen.

"Bulkhead!" Knock Out ordered as she ran toward the med-bay. She was followed by Ultra Magnus, and then Bulkhead.

Optimus hurried after them, aware that every moment was killing his wife or his child or possibly both. At the entrance to the med-bay, Bulkhead extended his arms and Optimus hesitated.

"Let him take her," Ultra Magnus said.

Optimus handed his unconscious wife over to Bulkhead and he disappeared into the med-bay. When Optimus tried to follow, Ultra Magnus barred his way.

"Get out of the way," Optimus growled. He knew he was being unreasonable, threatening his own teammate, but Ultra Magnus was between him and his family.

"You need to let Knock Out do her work. You can't do anything to help. You'll only make it harder," Ultra Magnus replied calmly. "I know it's hard, but the best thing you can do for Ratchet is to stay out here."

With a yell of anger, Optimus punched the wall. Ultra Magnus flinched, his eyes flashing with concern and uncertainty. No one knew how to respond to an Optimus that wasn't keeping his emotions in check.

"I should have convinced her to stay."

"You couldn't have done that," Ultra Magnus said. "Ratchet always does what she wants."

Optimus took a couple of deep breathes, realizing that he had never called the base for backup. "How'd you get the groundbridge open so fast?"

"Raf," Ultra Magnus responded. "I'm not sure how he knew, but he started up the groundbridge and then you and Ratchet came through."

Optimus didn't say anything. He just turned and marched toward the main room, his only intention to speak to Raf.

* * *

In a dark room, several being gathered, murmuring to one another. Finally, one voice rose over the others.

"Did you hear the news? Megatron might have killed the Autobot medic – at the very least, her child."

"You shouldn't spread rumors, Stacy," a man snapped.

"But it's not a rumor, Tyler," Stacy said defensively. Being a flyer, her dark wings flared. "Steve can tell you that it's the truth."

Everyone turned to the mentioned Vehicon, who looked startled at the sudden attention. Charlotte shifted nervously as his side.

"It has been confirmed that Lord Megatron did indeed harm the medic," he admitted slowly. "I'm not sure if she or the unborn child are dead."

"Starscream helped him!" Stacy snarled.

"Starscream was there, but she didn't support Megatron," Charlotte said in defense of the Decepticon second in command. "Starscream wouldn't even fight the medic when Megatron ordered her to."

Steve nodded in agreement. "I don't think Starscream likes Megatron anymore."

"Isn't that obvious?" All heads turned to the Vehicon speaking. Being one of the oldest Vehicons, he still clearly recalled his Cybertronian name Amenity, but was referred to as Uncle Amos these days. His wife had once been named Judgement, but after living on Earth for a few years, everyone had taken to calling her Judge Judy. "Starscream ain't loved Megatron in years, even if it took her a while to realize it. Megatron ain't loved her for an even longer time. I think we should consider which side we'll pick when the end comes."

"You mean between Autobot and Decepticon?" Tyler asked.

"Between Megatron and Starscream," Uncle Amos clarified. "Do ya'll recall why we sided with Megatron in the first place?"

"I thought he would make a stronger leader than Optimus Prime," Stacy recalled. "I chose to fight to kill Optimus so that Megatron could take the title of Prime and leader our society to greatness."

"He failed in that. Our home is a barren wasteland now," Charlotte muttered.

"And I've never known Optimus Prime to murder or attempt to murder children," Uncle Amos stated. "Who's the more just of the two?"

"You said the choice was between Starscream and Megatron. Shouldn't you be asking who is more just between them?" Steve question.

Uncle Amos just raised an eyebrow in a knowing smirk, while Charlotte said, "Starscream seems to care about us. Perhaps I might even consider her a friend, but Megatron is our leader."

"Our master," Stacy spat, "which is not the same as a leader. When was the last time he cared about us, or even bothered to hear our names? He held a full funeral with full rites for Soundwave, but where was the funeral for Austin, who died the same day for the same cause?" She looked at Steve as she mentioned his brother, and then turned to Charlotte. "Where was the funeral for Eddie, or the recognition of your pain for attempting to retrieve the Star Saber?" Charlotte hid her scarred hands in her pockets, but Stacy had moved on to Tyler. "Where was the memorial for Reba when she gave her life to save Shockwave, unless you count dissection as a proper funeral rite?" Tyler flinched at the reminder of Shockwave's treatment of his wife after her death, and Stacy finished with, "Where was the funeral for my husband and boys, who died while charging into battle side-by-side with Megatron himself?"

"You should watch what you say, Stacy." This was from Judge Judy, who was no longer content to sit by her husband's side and stay silent. "Soundwave may be dead but there are still other listeners. Megatron will have you killed for saying such things."

"And that would bring me the greatest joy," Stacy said. Her voice was soft, but in the sudden silence it carried throughout the room. "It would bring the end of my war, and would give me the chance to see my family again. Surely Primus cannot fault me for foolishly following such a merciless and evil man."

"I do not think Primus could find fault in anyone who feels remorse for what they have done," Judge Judy told her.

"Thank you, Judgement," Stacy replied, bowing her head. A sense of shock echoed throughout the room. No one had spoken a Cybertronian name among the Vehicons in many, many years. "Amenity, is there any possibility that the medic will live?"

Uncle Amos glanced away. "I am not the one to ask about such matters. Steve?"

"I trust that Knock Out will do her best to save Ratchet's life. I do not doubt that the medic will live," Steve replied. "The real question is whether or not the child will."

Silence. Tyler pulled out a picture of a woman and a child, a mere toddler. Neither had lived much longer than a few days after that photo had been taken, back in the beginning of the war. His son would have been just a little older than Sideswipe, had he lived. Charlotte took Steve's hand in hers, looking at the way her burn scars compared to the smooth skin of his hands. Uncle Amos and Judge Judy shared warm smiles, touched that someone had called them by their well-remembered but unused Cybertronian named. Stacy shuddered, wings rustling.

"We should get back to work," she said.

"Judge Ju – I mean Judgement was right when she said there are still listeners aboard the _Nemesis_ , so be careful what you say," Tyler warned.

The gathered Vehicons dispersed, leaving the room empty. From a darkly shaded corner stepped on such listener the Vehicons had been worried about. Dressed in a black, hooded cloak, the being was completely hidden.

Long, nimble fingers pulled back the hood, revealing dark hair and dark ruby eyes. Then the cloak was removed, exposing a silver dress and heels. Two silver wings with red primary feathers twitched on her back. The right was unharmed, but the left drooped at a strange angle, and the feathers were splattered with Energon where blades had dug into the flesh.

Starscream looked around the room, frowning. The dyed red bangs were still pushed behind her ear from earlier, and she jerked them forward, hiding the right side of her face again. Dropping the cloak onto the floor, she walked out of the room.

Drops of Energon marked her trail.

* * *

Optimus stepped into the main hanger and just looked at his team. Wheeljack looked at him, her blue eyes full of concern. Smokescreen was standing beside her, his expression so fearful that Optimus was suddenly reminded he was just a teenager. Arcee was pacing at the entranceway to the hanger, glancing back into the hanger and twirling a knife in her hands. Sideswipe let out a sob and Wheeljack swooped toward him, her red-tinted brown curls hiding his face from Optimus. Miko and Jack were standing together, Jack's arm around Miko as she silently cried. June was still embracing Raf, but she stood up when she saw Optimus. Raf turned to look at Optimus as well, and Fowler appeared in the upper balcony. Someone must have told him what had happened, because he looked subdued, only his brown eyes betraying his fear.

"Optimus…" Arcee's statement died. Optimus knew what she was thinking, what it was like to watch someone you love die, but Optimus refused to face that thought until – if – it became a reality. Something in his expression must have tipped Arcee off to this, as she went back to pacing.

Optimus marched across the room, aware of everyone watching him. Stopping in front of Raf, he said, "You can hear us."

Raf blinked. _You mean telepathically, don't you?_

"Why didn't tell us?" Optimus asked. He only realized he sounded angry when Raf flinched back. June put a comforting hand on his shoulder and simultaneously sent a glare in Optimus's direction. The Prime was suddenly reminded of Ratchet.

"I told Ratchet," Raf admitted. "We communicated that way a lot when she was pretending to be Rachel. Ratchet was the one who told me not to tell you. She thought the Decepticons would try to use it their advantage if they knew, especially when Soundwave was alive. She said the human mind didn't have as many psychic shields as the Cybertronian mind and that it would be easier for Soundwave to find me and rearrange my mind or take information from my mind, so we agreed to keep it a secret. I'm sorry."

Optimus took a deep breath. He could see Ratchet doing this and her reasons were, as always, solid. Whatever anger he had been feeling drained out of him.

"Don't be sorry, Rafael," he told the boy. "If not for you, the Autobots would not have responded as quickly and Ratchet would be even worse off than she is now." He crouched down and look Raf in the eye. "The fact that Ratchet reached out to you tells me just how much you mean to her. Ratchet isn't the best at making friends, and I want to express my gratitude for the way that you managed to make her your friend. That took some work, I know, because it was a lot of work to get her to be my wife."

Raf smiled and reached up to wipe at his watering eyes. "Ratchet will be okay, won't she? And the baby?"

"I don't know," Optimus admitted, closing his eyes. He opened them again in surprise when little arms wrapped around his neck. Smiling, he returned the hug.

 _Ratchet used to always tell me that she was too stubborn to die,_ Raf said.

 _Ratchet is too stubborn to listen to Primus when he tells her it's her time, so he just eventually sends her back for everyone else to deal with,_ Optimus replied, sending a flash of humor. _I'd deal with her for all eternity._

 _I don't think it's considered dealing with someone if you love them, Optimus,_ Raf responded.

 _Not, it's not,_ Optimus agreed.

He didn't say anything, but just thought that this is what he could be losing. A family, a son. He finally pulled back from the embrace to look up at the others. Wheeljack had been joined by Bulkhead, and Optimus could tell from his expression that things hadn't gotten much better. Optimus stood and Raf stayed at his side, but he didn't mind.

"Where's Ultra Magnus?" he asked.

"He's helping Knock Out," Bulkhead responded. "He's the only one other than you who has some medical training."

"Bulkhead, don't remind the man that he can't be with his wife right now," Wheeljack hissed.

"Mom, I think you did that more so than Dad did," Smokescreen pointed out, pushing forward to stand between Bulkhead and Wheeljack.

Optimus looked at them, Wheeljack to the right, her hair as unruly as ever and her white tank top stained with oil; her black pants had a rip in the shin. Smokescreen's brown hair was more messy than usual, and his yellow jacket was wadded up in hands. Bulkhead was standing to the left of his wife and son, like a protective and looming shadow.

Optimus blinked and the image changed. Instead of Bulkhead, he was looking at himself, black hair and blue eyes. In Wheeljack's place was Ratchet, her strawberry blonde hair extended past her shoulder-blades instead of chopped off at the shoulders. She was smiling, and her blue-green eyes gleamed. Standing between them, in Smokescreen's place, was a teenager Optimus had never seen. He had blonde hair and bright, blue eyes and his facial features were a mixture of Optimus's and Ratchet's.

The teenager was their son.

The voice of Alpha Trion suddenly washed over Optimus, startling and soothing him all at once. **You need not worry.**

He blinked again and he was looking at Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Smokescreen again. He turned away, and met June's worried expression.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"I think I'm going to be," Optimus said, recalling Alpha Trion's words and the vision he had just seen. "I think everything is going to work out fine."

"How can you be so sure?" Miko asked, still crying.

"Because I faith," Optimus replied. "And nothing is more powerful than faith."

"Amen to that," Fowler called down from the balcony.

* * *

The door to the med-bay opened and Optimus jumped up from where he had been sitting leaned up against the wall. It was late, and the others were asleep. Even the humans had remained at the base, spinning elaborate tales as to why they would not be home. As long as it didn't come back to bite them in the butt, Optimus didn't care what they said.

Ultra Magnus stepped into the hallway. His expression was neutral, but Optimus recalled Alpha Trion's vision and felt a flash of hope as he realized that Ultra Magnus wasn't frowning like he was about to drop the worst possible news.

"What is her status?" he asked.

Knock Out stepped out behind Ultra Magnus, putting a hand on his shoulder and gently pushing him out of the way. "Go get some rest, Magnus. It's been a long day."

With a nod, Ultra Magnus walked past Optimus, but the Prime was keeping his eyes on Knock Out. She'd taken off her red leather jacket, leaving only her silver blouse on. Strands of her red hair were plastered to her forehead with sweat, and Optimus wondered what her reaction would be if she knew her red lipstick had smeared on the left side.

"What is her status?" he repeated.

"She's alive and so is the child," Knock Out told him slowly.

Optimus felt a great load of fear dump off him, but he wasn't foolish enough to believe everything was fine. "What's the problem?"

"I had to repair a lot of things, Optimus, and I'm not going to go into all the technical terms, because it wouldn't make sense to you anyway and I'm just too tired," Knock Out replied. "The child is alive, but there may be damage to the fetus that I cannot determine. It may be nothing, but it may appear when the child is born."

"But the child will live?"

"Yes," Knock Out replied, "but there's something else. There was a lot of damage, and you're lucky that both your wife and your child made it this time, because there won't a next time. There will be too much scar tissue. That child Ratchet is about to have is the only child you will ever have."

Optimus just looked at her. "Then this child is a blessing from Primus."

Knock Out nodded. She looked like she was about to say something, but then she didn't. Optimus suddenly remembered that, like Arcee, she too had lost someone she deeply loved.

"Thank you, Knock Out," he said. "Without you, Ratchet would have died."

"Yes, I do good work, don't I?" The smile that came with those words lacked any actual pride behind it. "You may go see her, but she's sleeping."

"I won't disturb her," Optimus promised. He started to open the med-bay door, but paused when Knock Out spoke again.

"Optimus, I just thought you would like to know that you're going to have a son."

"I know," he said. "Thank you."

He entered the med-bay and slowly approached the berth that Ratchet was lying on. Optimus realized she looked more peaceful sleeping than she had any time recently. He picked up her glasses, which was resting on a small table at the foot of the berth. He looked at the datapad beneath them, which detailed exactly what the damage was, but, just as Knock Out had said, he didn't understand any of it.

Other than he was very lucky to have both his wife and child alive.

"Optimus?"

"Ratchet, you're supposed to be sleeping," Optimus said, moving closer to her and taking her hand.

"What happened?" she asked.

Optimus didn't answer right away, but instead gently placed her glasses on her face so she could see him clearly; without the glasses, she'd see nothing but a colorful blur. "Megatron injured you and then I brought you here, to our home. Knock Out managed to save you and our child." He decided not to tell her the rest of the news until she recovered more.

"Remind me to thank her," Ratchet said. She yawned. "I guess I should be sleeping."

"You'll feel better when you wake up later," Optimus told her. Her blue-green eyes flickered up to him, and he could tell that she was wondering if she should be annoyed or gratified that he had noticed she was hurting even though she hadn't admitted so.

She weakly squeezed his hand. "Next I want to go on a walk, stop me."

"I don't think even Unicron himself could stop you if you set your mind to something," Optimus responded with a smile. The words were wasted, however, as Ratchet had already drifted back to sleep.

He slowly removed his hand from hers and then leaned forward to gently remove her glasses. Whispering, he said, "You were right. We're having a boy."

* * *

 **Next chapter is the one you've all been waiting for! But don't think that's the end - there is a war going on, after all. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	23. Chapter 23

Knock Out took a deep breath, the scent of rain thick in the air. Gray clouds billowed overhead, thunder rumbling in the far distance. Lightning flashed, but it wasn't close enough to send Knock Out searching for cover. Knock Out's shoulder-length red hair was down, and the roaring wind whipped it around her face.

Storms on Earth could be powerful, but they were nothing compared to Cybertron's storms, and Cybertron's storms had nothing on the great forces of nature that had swept across Velocitron. The beginning of a storm was always the most restless time for a Velocitronian, especially one who had a lot to think about. Knock Out had never been old enough to race in the races prior to the destruction of the planet, but she knew that she would have been one of the best, if not the best, on the planet.

"Knock Out."

She spun around and spotted Ultra Magnus walking across the base toward her. Knock Out attempted to tame her hair, decided that was impossible in the current winds, and put her hands down to her sides. She turned back to look at the landscape, letting Ultra Magnus walk up beside her.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, glancing back at the base they were standing outside of. There was dirt under their shoes, not concrete. "There's a storm coming."

"Storms are the best time to race. The best and fastest will outrun the worst of it, and others know better than to test their luck," Knock Out replied. She sighed. "This area of Earth…it's a lot like Velocitron. Velocitron was flat and sandy like this, but without the obstructions that this desert seems to have. Even the buildings were built in such a way that you could run up and down them, like a hill."

"That doesn't sound a bit like Cybertron or Earth," Ultra Magnus commented.

"That's because it's not, genius," Knock Out said, rolling her eyes.

Ultra Magnus gave her a look. "How many Velocitronians are left?"

"I'm not that sure," Knock Out answered with a sigh. "Very few Velocitronians survived the explosion of the sun. I don't think many survived the war. I could very well be the last one." She gave Ultra Magnus a bitter smile. "Funny, we Velocitronians fled one planet-wide disaster and soon found ourselves in another."

Ultra Magnus winced. "Well, ours was self-induced."

"I helped create the war on Cybertron, so I guess I shouldn't complain," Knock Out admitted. She glanced at the man beside her. "Your collar is crooked." She reached out to straighten his collar, and he grabbed her hand before she could pull it back.

"I've been dealing with a conflict for a while now, ever since the battle with Soundwave."

Well, at least he wasn't here to praise her for saving Ratchet and her son…again. In the past two weeks, Knock Out had actually gotten tired of all the praise being thrown her way. She blamed it on the Autobots and their morals.

"And what conflict is that?" she asked softly.

"I can't decide if it's okay for me to initiate a relationship with you, or if you're off limits because of your previous relationship with Breakdown. Would it be wrong of me to have a relationship with you, would I be dishonoring Breakdown?"

His uncertainty was actually kind of cute. Knock Out smiled, thinking of how Ultra Magnus had been the most adamant about her being kicked out of the Autobots after Megatron had thrown her out of the Decepticon ranks.

She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Want to know something? Remember when Breakdown sacrificed himself to stop M.E.C.H. from using him against us?"

Ultra Magnus nodded, looking too stunned to speak.

"Breakdown knew you liked me then." Knock Out let out a single huff of amusement. "He was always so good at reading into people. The point is, he knew about you and he knew what would eventually happen. The last thing he said to me, through our psychic link, was that I should find happiness in whatever form it presents itself to me." She smiled. "I think you count as a form of happiness."

She was surprised when Ultra Magnus wrapped his arms around her, his lips suddenly on hers. She smiled into the kiss, the wind blowing the scent of Ultra Magnus to her. Knock Out had once heard June say that she thought Captain America would smell like propaganda, and Knock Out got the same sense about Ultra Magnus. Knock Out was willing to bet that Cybertronian propaganda smelled a ton better than any propaganda on Earth.

They broke apart, and Ultra Magnus breathed, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Knock Out replied.

Before she even had time to fully register what had happened, Ultra Magnus was gripping her hands a little too tight.

"Primus, I forgot that Optimus sent me out here to find you. I've been here declaring my feelings to you and he needs you."

"Is Ratchet okay?" Knock Out asked, suddenly worried about her friend. Two weeks away from the predicated date, Ratchet could be having her son at any moment.

"Ratchet's fine. Sorry for worrying you," Ultra Magnus said. "Prime just needs you to yell at some politicians. Ratchet isn't in a yelling mood for once." Knock Out noticed that way Ultra Magnus's tone took on a concerned note, but didn't say anything. "He asked June and Wheeljack to help, but June was too busy at the hospital and Wheeljack was threatening to throw a grenade at the computer screen, so he sent me to get you."

"Well, let's go." Knock Out began pulling him toward the base.

* * *

Knock Out tapped her foot impatiently, her arms crossed. She was watching Ratchet as she retreated back to her room after some parting words with Raf. Ever since her injury, the normally temperamental medic had been subdued. Knock Out wanted to believe it wasn't a problem, but she knew it was.

The medic glanced back as Optimus finished the video call with General Bryce. The Prime hadn't really been in dire need of help, and Ultra Magnus had been disappointed to learn he had to give up his alone time with Knock Out for no reason.

Knock Out believed that there was a reason for everything, and she knew just what to do with the opportunity that was presenting itself to her. She twirled the thin rod that elongated into her Energon staff between her fingers, aware that she probably didn't look that threatening, even with the weapon out in the open.

"Knock Out, I thought I dismissed you," Optimus said in surprise when he saw her.

"You did, but there is something I need to discuss with you," she replied. She blew a strand of hair out of her face.

"What you and Ultra Magnus do is between yourselves and I would rather not know…"

"This is about Ratchet and you," Knock Out interrupted.

"Ratchet and I are fine," Optimus retorted.

"Which is why you two haven't spoken since she woke up after her injury," Knock Out said, rolling her eyes. "I wasn't born yesterday, Optimus. I know a strained relationship when I see it. Considering that your son could be born any time within the next two weeks, I think you have some repairing to do." Knock Out held up her hand when Optimus started to talk and, to her surprise, he actually stopped. "Look, I don't know what the problem is between you two and I don't care, but you need to fix it. I didn't save your wife and son for you just so you could lose them."

Optimus shifted. Knock Out wasn't sure if he was going to listen her to, but she had good reason to believe that he would. She knew that he definitely loved Ratchet and would do anything to keep her happy; she knew that he knew that whatever had been going on the past two weeks was definitely hurting Ratchet, and him in turn.

"Knock Out –"

Optimus just blinked at the sparking prod suddenly in his face. "I don't think you understand. This is not an option. The health of your wife and son is at stake here if you do not fix whatever the Pit this fragging mess is."

"Put the staff away," Optimus ordered. Knock Out suddenly realized that threatening the Prime with a weapon may not have been the best of ideas, and she quickly put the weapon away. Optimus sighed. "Okay, you are right." He glanced at Knock Out and she became aware of the fact that she was grinning way too broadly to be appropriate. "I'm going to go talk to Ratchet. You need to go talk to Ultra Magnus. I think you left things rather abruptly."

Optimus walked by her and Knock Out watched him go. She huffed. "And they say Primes have no humor."

* * *

Ratchet glanced up at Optimus as he entered their room, and then glanced away just as quickly. Optimus inwardly sighed, struggling to recall the last time they had not been able to communicate effectively. Even their mental bond held a muddled sort of static - Optimus wasn't able to get a full reading on Ratchet, but only a few snippets of emotions.

"I think we need to talk," Optimus said. He stood a little away from Ratchet, who was sitting down on a large chair that had been brought in as a gift from June. It was next to a crib that had been a gift from Fowler, and a mobile made of tinkling crystal pieces rotated above the crib, courtesy of Wheeljack and Bulkhead.

"About what?" Her voice was tart and response short.

Optimus sighed. "No one blames you."

"I don't care what everyone else thinks or who everyone blames. I blame myself and that's all that matters," Ratchet replied. The light was reflecting in the lenses of her glasses, effectively hiding her eyes.

"It wasn't your fault," Optimus insisted.

Ratchet got to her feet, the reflection disappeared from her glasses, and Optimus could see the emotion in her blue-green eyes at the exact same time their psychic link opened up again. The Prime wanted to stagger under the sudden swath of emotion, but he managed to keep his feet under him.

"But it is, Optimus. It's my fault that our son could be born with some injury. It's my fault that we won't be able have any more kids," she cried.

"It's my fault!" Optimus hadn't really been intending to raise his voice, and he could tell he had caught Ratchet off guard by the way her whipping emotions settled and stopped washing over him in such choking waves. Lowering his voice, he continued, "It's my fault because I wasn't enough to protect my family."

Ratchet sighed, rubbing her temples. "These negative emotions are not good for anybody."

The two stood awkwardly, almost close enough to touch but neither seemed willing to close the gap. Optimus disliked this, this feeling of being so close and yet so far away. He couldn't recall another moment like this, aside from the original awkwardness that had occurred when they first started seeing each other.

"So, what do you want to do about?" Optimus asked.

"I'm going to start by telling you that it wasn't your fault either. Then I'm going to find a way to forgive myself. We're going to make it through this," she replied. "Optimus, we're about to parents. In that moment of happiness, nothing else is going to matter."

Optimus closed the difference between them, relieved by the sudden love and warmth coming through the mental connection. He replied in same as he wrapped his arms around his wife.

"I'm going to tell you yet again it wasn't your fault. Then I'm going to find a way to forgive myself, and then I'm going to sing my praises to Primus when I finally become a father," he told her.

"Please don't sing your praises," Ratchet retorted. "Primus blessed you with many things, but a singing voice was not one of them."

"There's the sarcasm I missed," Optimus said before kissing her on the temple.

"Remind me to thank Knock Out for zapping some sense into you," Ratchet said with a smirk.

"She didn't make it the zapping part," Optimus replied. "But it was close."

Ratchet just let out an amused hum. Optimus grinned, glad that whatever awkwardness that had been between them since he told Ratchet the full extent of her injuries was gone. He was not sure exactly what had been the problem, but they had made headway and were looking to the future. He felt like he had his family back in its whole, both mind and body.

"Have you thought of any names?" he asked.

"Nothing that seems to express all the points I would want to express," Ratchet admitted. "You?"

"I thought of Nemo and Marlin."

"Raf made you watch _Finding Nemo_ , didn't he?"

"Yeah," Optimus replied. Ratchet just chuckled.

* * *

"Ratchet, you can't carry that!"

Raf took the bouquet of flowers that Ratchet was carrying. His official guardian gave him a mock glare – and he was proud of the fact that he only got mock glares and not real glares from her.

"Why do you even have flowers?" he asked, looking at the clashing colors of orange lilies and green weeds.

"Sideswipe got them for me," she replied. "I think he was trying to get me a gift since everyone else has been. The young kid didn't really understand, but I wasn't about to let that sweet action go unnoticed. I thought I'd put the, um, plants in a vase."

"I can do that," Raf told her. "You should be resting."

Ratchet rolled her eyes. "Raf, I'm fine."

Raf didn't feel like reminding her that she could be having a baby at any moment. A sharp pain spike through his pinky finger suddenly, accompanied with a burning. With a yelp, Raf dropped the flowers and looked at his hand. Ratchet was at his side immediately, looking as well.

Raf tapped just below the stinger still hanging from the base of his pinky. "There must have been on a bee on those flowers. It's a good thing I took those from you."

"Where's the bee now?" Ratchet asked, even as she pulled a thin piece of cardboard from practically nowhere.

"Dead, and I don't know," Raf replied. He winced as Ratchet expertly popped the stinger from his hand without releasing any more of the poison into his system. "I actually like bumblebees, when they're not hurting me."

"Why would you like them if they can hurt you?" Ratchet asked, poking around the injection sight and squeezing, trying to get some of the poison already in Raf's hand out.

Wincing, Raf focused on his answer instead of the discomfort. "Bees are super cute, if you ever get the chance to look at one. Also, they're extremely protective of their little bumblebee families and they all share the work equally. They're super important to the environment because they help pollinate plants, and they make honey, that sweet golden liquid that Mrs. Darby always puts on her biscuits? Overall, bees are just cute, loving little insects, though they do hurt when they think that is their only option."

"Really?" Raf looked up at Ratchet as she looked off to the side, her expression thoughtful. She turned back to him with a smile. "I'm going to call June and ask her bring some human medicine when she comes later today. I think you should be fine until them, no?"

"Yes, Ratchet," Raf replied with a smile of his own. "What do you want to do with the flowers?"

"Pick them up for me, please. I can't really bend over these days. I'll get some water and a vase," Ratchet told him. "And watch for bees!"

"Will do, Ratchet, will do," Raf promised.

* * *

"Jack, wake up. Jack!"

Jack groaned, glancing at the harsh, red light of his alarm clock. "Arcee, it's 2 a.m."

"First, I'm not Arcee. Second, it's actually 2:33 a.m.," a female voice replied. "Get up."

Hiding his voice under his pillow, Jack slurred, "It's too early."

"Jackson Darby, you have to get up now," June ordered, pulling the pillow off him.

"Why?" Jack whined. He usually wasn't this disobedient, but he knew the Decepticons were not attacking and he saw no reason to be drug out of his cozy bed at this ungodly hour in the morning.

"Ratchet is having her baby," June informed him.

Jack set up, suddenly feeling wide awake. He looked over at his mother, who was dressed in jeans, a crumpled T-shirt she'd probably been sleeping in, and some sort of slip-on shoes, most likely Toms.

"Where's Arcee?"

"Arcee has already returned to the base, as have Bulkhead and Smokescreen. We're picking up Miko and Fowler is getting Raf. Hopefully he'll be able to give some sort of plausible explanation before Mrs. Esquivel pepper sprays him or worse," June said. "Hurry up. You want to see the baby, don't you?"

"Of course!"

Apparently satisfied Jack was fully awake, June walked out of the room. Jack hurried through the act of putting on clothes and then rushed out to the garage where June was waiting in the car.

Jack didn't say anything as they started toward Miko's house. He glanced toward the stars, feeling a sudden disoriented feeling as the constellations suddenly matched up with the constellations of Cybertron and not Earth. In a matter of seconds, the feeling had passed. Jack had been having the exact same feeling ever since he touched the Star Saber, and he thought it was residue from one of Optimus's memories, where Ratchet had pointed out the constellations of Cybertron and named them with ease.

There was other residue from the mental connection as well. Jack knew that Optimus was going to do everything possible to protect his family. Jack also knew that Optimus had always wanted a family, and this was the Prime's dream - and Ratchet's, too - coming to pass.

The most disconcerting psychic phenomena that Jack experienced, however, was the ability to sense the overall emotions of the Autobots. He couldn't imagine being like Raf, who had full capacity to join the Autobot telepathic links.

Just as they pulled up in front of Miko's house, Jack felt a sudden spike of joy. It wasn't his own, which told him that something significant had happened in the Autobot base.

"Mom, she had her baby," Jack said.

June just grinned. "That's great!"

Jack said nothing. The joy was tainted, an undercurrent of guilt flowing through him. The teenager looked at the stars again as Miko burst out of the door of her house. The constellations were those of Earth.

Jack missed the star formations of Cybertron, and he'd never actually seen them. His life made very little sense anymore.

* * *

Optimus kissed his wife's temple, more proud of her than he could express. Ratchet didn't respond, looking down at the baby swaddled up in red blankets in her arms. Optimus joined her, looking at their son.

The little Cybertronian grinned, bright, blue eyes sparkling as he took in his parents for the first time. The tiniest bit of golden blond hair was visible on the crown of his head; the blond hair must have come from Ratchet's family, given her strawberry blonde hair.

"He has your eyes," Ratchet breathed.

"He'll have your intelligence. Look at the way he's already taking in his surroundings," Optimus said proudly. He thought his Spark might jump forth from his chest and do a happy dance. "What are we going to call him?"

"Bumblebee," Ratchet said without hesitation. "It's perfect."

"Why is that?" Optimus knew very little about the fauna of Earth, with the exception of _Homo sapiens_ , of course.

"Bees are usually kind and sweet, but they take on any threat to their families," Ratchet explained. "Our son will be kind, compassionate, and intelligent, but he'll also jump to the defense of his family. Bumblebee is the perfect name."

"I like it," Optimus smiled. "Much better than Marlin or Nemo."

Ratchet just smiled down at their son in a loving manner. Bumblebee looked back at his mother, grinning a toothless smile. The perfect image was marred by bright, pink scars on his throat, remnants of the injuries Ratchet had sustained from Megatron.

Optimus stayed in his current position, looking down at his son, but he focused his hearing on Knock Out and Ultra Magnus, who were talking across the med-bay.

"What's her status?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"She's perfectly healthy right now," Knock Out assured him. "Now that the child is born, all that scar tissue from her injuries will harden and that means no more offspring."

"And the child?"

"Just those scars."

"Scars indicate a wound. What was damaged?" Ultra Magnus questioned.

"I did some scans when he was first born. No damage to the esophagus or windpipe," Knock Out told him. "The only thing that might be damaged are his vocal cords, but we'll only be sure of that when he reaches the age where he should be learning to talk."

"I will tell the others the good news, then," Ultra Magnus said. "You did good today, Knoxie."

"Well, thank you, Mags." As Ultra Magnus exited the med-bay, Knock Out walked over to the new family. Optimus wondered if she was recalling when Sideswipe was born. "Are you two up for visitors?"

Ratchet and Optimus exchanged a look. Optimus said, "Bring them in. I think Bumblebee is ready for visitors."

"Bumblebee...I like it," Knock Out said. She must have contacted Ultra Magnus through a telepathic communication, because the med-bay door burst open and in rushed the Autobots and their human companions.

Optimus got lost in the sudden swell of questions. The males congratulated him, and the females - even Arcee - cooed over Bumblebee and commented on his cuteness. Raf was standing at the edge of the berth, looking down at the son of his guardian; the twelve-year-old promised to treat Bumblebee like a little brother, which Optimus found very sweet. Sideswipe happily proclaimed he was no longer the youngest and was immediately shushed by Ultra Magnus. Miko took a selfie with Bumblebee, forcing Jack to join in. June was talking with Ratchet, as were Wheeljack and Knock Out, perhaps giving parenting advice.

Finally, Ratchet sent a telepathic communication to Optimus. "Alright everyone, time to go!" he said. Among a chorus of awws and groans, he added, "Ratchet is tired and Bumblebee is already asleep. I know it's morning, but we've been awake a good portion of the night, so everyone is off-duty until this afternoon. Try and get some sleep."

As they all filed out, Optimus kept his eyes on Ratchet. Once they had the med-bay to themselves, Optimus managed to squeeze himself onto the berth beside Ratchet. Smiling, she gently passed the sleeping Bumblebee to him.

Optimus just smiled down at the small, helpless, and cute creature in his arms. It was his job to protect his son, to teach him and to help him grow into a productive and responsible being. But it wasn't a one-person job, and Optimus knew that he couldn't have shared this duty with anyone who wasn't Ratchet.

"I do hope your parents were decent role models," Ratchet said suddenly. Optimus could hear the exhaustion in her voice. "My parents just taught me what not to do."

"My parents taught me what to do as a parent. Combined, the two of us are going to make a great pair," Optimus replied.

"We've always been a great pair." Ratchet reached out and ever so softly stroked Bumblebee's cheek with her finger. She sighed. "Our little Bumblebee."

Optimus spent the morning lying out on the berth with his son sleeping in his arms and his wife sleeping with her head against his shoulder. Optimus didn't sleep, but instead thought of the fact that both members of his family bore scars from Megatron - Bumblebee had gotten his scars before he'd even taken his first breath.

Optimus vowed to do whatever it took to ensure that Megatron and his Decepticons never hurt his family again, including the extended family of the Autobot Omega One Team and their human allies.

His priorities had changed from winning a war to keeping his family safe. The outcome of the war suddenly seemed less important.


	24. Chapter 24

Jack was currently too busy to look at the customer that had approached the counter, focusing on stacking up some cups. "Hello, and welcome to K.O. Burgers, where every patty is a knock out."

"Doubt it," a feminine voice snipped. "I'm the real knock out."

Jack looked up in surprise and did indeed come face-to-face with Knock Out. He almost said his name, but she shushed him.

"I'm known as Kasey Ottoman," she said.

Jack knew that the Autobots all had human codenames in case they needed to interact with strangers, but he hadn't heard any of them before.

"Did Fowler come up with that?" he asked.

"It's horrible, isn't it?" Knock Out whined. "Fowler is so not a creative individual. Optimus and Ratchet are Oliver and Rachel Prime." She made a gagging sound. "Terrible!"

"Okay, Kasey, what can I help you with?" Jack asked, enjoying the flash in Knock Out's eyes as he used the codename.

"Fowler sent me out to get some burgers for him and June," Knock Out said. "Though why he didn't just come himself is beyond me. He said you'd know what he wanted on his burger."

"I do," Jack said, heading toward the back to fix up the burgers. He also happened to know what his mother would want on her burger, too. He was just returning with the burgers when Knock Out called his name. "What's the matter? Did I take too long?" Jack snapped.

"No, we have to go now."

"But I'm still working," Jack protested.

"Work later," Knock Out ordered. "Ratchet just contacted me. There was an Energon mine collapse."

"Is everyone okay?" Jack asked worriedly, coming around the counter.

Knock Out was already heading for the exit. "I don't know."

Throwing his paper K.O. Burgers cap into the trashcan, Jack hurried after her, clutching the bag of burgers. Knock Out's Aston Martin was out in the parking lot, looking out of place among the other dingy vehicles. As Knock Out started the engine, Jack piled into the passenger seat and immediately jumped when a head poked up in the backseat.

"Did you get me a burger, Mommy?"

"Sides, you ate before we got here, remember?"

"But I wanted a burger." Sideswipe looked out the window as Knock Out peeled out of the parking lot and onto the highway. "Where are we going?"

"There's a groundbridge waiting for us down a discontinued dirt road not far from here," Knock Out replied. She glanced ruefully at the gleaming red hood of her car. "It'll take me ages to wash all the dust off this baby."

"How about we worry about the state of your car later?" Jack asked, irritated. "We need to be worry about the state of our friends now."

Knock Out drifted onto the dirt road she had mentioned earlier. Her ruby eyes flashed darkly as she snapped, "The only Autobot in danger is Ultra Magnus, but I believe him to be manly enough to handle himself. There are several Vehicons that were caught in the blast."

"I thought you didn't care about Vehicons," Jack said.

"Vehicons have emotions and they die just like us, Jack. I don't know how one wouldn't care," Knock Out replied.

"Megatron doesn't care," Sideswipe pointed out. His voice was way too cheerful for the seriousness of his comment.

"There's a reason Mommy doesn't work for Megatron anymore," Knock Out growled. Jack noticed she was clutching the steering wheel so hard, her knuckles were white.

* * *

Steve slowly approached the Prime, keeping his hands where Optimus could see them. The Autobot leader himself hadn't made a move toward his weapons, but Arcee and Bulkhead, flanking either side of him, were keeping their guns aimed at his chest. Pushing down his uneasiness and a twinge of fear, Steve managed to meet Optimus's icy gaze; he trusted the Prime to at least listen to him before he gave his subordinates the order to execute him. He just hoped that Charlotte, standing some distance behind him, could get away. Unless Wheeljack or Smokescreen had something up their sleeves, which Steve doubted, since they were studying the rubble blocking the entrance to mine.

"What do you want?" Arcee growled, her expression cold and unforgiving. Steve flicked his gaze over to her and noticed her irises were a mixture of sapphire and amethyst. Both gems, he recalled, were beautiful to look at, but cold and incapable of love, and Steve got the same vibe from the female Autobot.

Returning his attention to Optimus, Steve said, "Could you please order your men to put their guns away. Charlotte and I are the only Decepticons coming and we both are unarmed." Well, Steve knew for sure that he had no weapons on him, but he was only fairly sure Charlotte was weaponless. He'd just have to ask her to relinquish her weapons if she had them on her in the name of peace.

Optimus nodded and Arcee and Bulkhead lowered their weapons. Bulkhead ambled over to Wheeljack and Smokescreen, while Arcee paced back and forth behind Optimus. She surveyed Steve like a cat would watch a bird, waiting for that one moment its prey was distracted before it pounced.

"Are there any Autobots trapped?" Steve didn't want to accuse the Autobots of anything, even though it was a Decepticon mine, because every Cybertronian needed Energon. The Decepticons had stolen from the Autobots in the past, so Steve felt that any stealing done by the Autobots was justified.

"One." Optimus's gaze slid past Steve. The Decepticon medic assumed he was studying Charlotte. Apparently she wasn't doing anything alarming - thank Primus! - because Optimus returned his attention to Steve. "How many Vehicons?"

"Just four," Steve replied. "Lord Megatron wanted this mine shut down. They were the clean out crew."

"Do you know the mine?" Optimus asked.

"I've been here a few times, but I don't know it that well. Charlie - Charlotte, that is, the Vehicon here with me - knows this mine. As does my predecessor."

"Ah, so you're the new Decepticon medic." Optimus gestured for Arcee to come closer. "Bring Charlotte over here. Try not to start a fight."

Arcee passed Steve without a glance in his direction. Steve resisted the urge to turn around and watch, but in just a short time Charlotte was standing beside him and Arcee was once again pacing behind Optimus. Charlotte was wringing her scarred hands together nervously.

"I propose we work together. Are you two the only Decepticons arriving on the scene?" Optimus asked. Steve knew he had said that earlier, but he didn't blame Optimus for double-checking.

"Lord Megatron doesn't have much care for whether or not the Vehicons survive," Charlotte responded.

Steve nodded in agreement. "We're the only two who are going to come here. Commander Starscream and Lord Megatron will meet us in the med-bay of the _Nemesis_ for a report. I would not be against working with you, Prime. Charlie and I will offer what assistance we can to free your trapped Autobot, if you extend the same courtesy to us and help us free our fellow Vehicons."

"It's a deal." Optimus turned, though Steve noted he didn't fully turn his back on the two Decepticons, as a groundbridge swirled to life.

Steve couldn't stop the flutter of excitement and joy that sprang to life in his chest when the Aston Martin's owner stepped out. Knock Out marched over to stand beside Optimus, arms crossed. Steve spotted Sideswipe as he darted over to Bulkhead near the collapsed entrance. The boy was clutching a paper sack with some sort of emblem printed on the side. A human who appeared to be in his upper juvenile years exited the vehicle, too, and walked straight up to Arcee, who had stopped pacing. For the first time, Steve reflected Arcee might be capable of caring about people.

"Steve, Charlie," Knock Out greeted. Her tone was cool, but Steve could see the brightness in her ruby eyes.

"I'm the Decepticon medic now," Steve told her. "Charlie is my assistant."

"That's good. How is Eddie?" Knock Out asked. Her gaze cut to Optimus as she spoke.

Charlotte kicked at the ground. "Eddie has passed."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Knock Out replied. She uncrossed her arms. "I know what it feels like to lose your husband."

Steve hadn't realized just how invested into the Autobot cause Knock Out was until Optimus turned and walked off, leaving her alone with two of her former allies. He fully trusted Knock Out to reject any offers or pleads they might have to get her back on their side. Steve, however, felt that Knock Out was happier on the other side and knew immediately that it would be incredibly wrong of him to try and manipulate her into rejoining the ranks of misery she had escaped from.

"Which Autobot is trapped?" Steve questioned.

"Ultra Magnus." Knock Out's voice wobbled with worry, and Steve wondered if she'd found more than friends among the Autobot base. "Who's in there, Steve?"

"Judgement, Amenity, Tyler, and Stacy," Steve told her. "You probably know Judgement and Amenity by the names Judge Judy and Uncle Amos."

"I remember all of them," Knock Out said.

Charlotte jumped, startled, at the sound of a blast. Steve himself tensed and felt his Spark surge in fear and surprise. Knock Out didn't even flinch; instead, she tightened her ponytail, the red strands curling over one shoulder.

"Wheeljack is blasting her way in with those Primus-forsaken bombs of hers," she muttered. She looked up to meet Steve's surprised look as he calmed down. Charlotte just looked slightly embarrassed. "Let's go rescue some Cybertronians, shall we?"

* * *

Starscream said nothing, but simply waited for either Steve or Charlotte to acknowledge her. Her wings twitched impatiently, and she winced when a few metallic feathers fell to the med-bay floor. Lately, it was getting harder and harder to hide her Seeker ability, and she believed it was because her emotions had been ranging from something near depression to volcanic anger.

She kicked the dagger-like feathers under a counter as Steve approached her. Behind him, Charlotte was covering one of the recovered Vehicons with a sheet. The other three Vehicons were resting in their berths. Starscream glanced toward the door, though that would hardly tell her how close her husband was to the med-bay.

"The Autobots were in the mine," Steve told her.

Starscream said nothing. Autobot raids were hardly a surprise after so many years of war.

Steve continued. "They helped us in exchange for helping them free Ultra Magnus. Our former ally seemed to be most pleased that the general was unharmed."

That got Starscream's attention. From what she knew of Ultra Magnus the possibility of him falling in love was nearly astronomical. It completely astounded her that he would fall for someone like Knock Out. Then again, Starscream had learned the hard way that love was often fickle.

"I found out that Ratchet survived," Steve added, "as did Optimus and her's son."

Starscream actually smiled at that. If she was going to take a beating in order to help the injured medic and the Prime escape, it had better have been worth it.

"What of our people?" Starscream asked.

Before Steve could answer, the med-bay doors slid open and Megatron stormed inside. Starscream stepped back into the shadows, hopefully mostly disappearing. She noticed that Charlotte disappeared in the back of the med-bay. Steve took a few tentative steps forward and then halted, letting the looming Decepticon leader approach him.

"Who was in charge of the operation?" Megatron snarled.

"That hardly matters." Starscream respected Steve's bravery, but she could see his confidence waver, especially when the lurking figure of Dreadwing appeared behind Megatron. Steve pointed at Judgement, who was beginning to stir.

Megatron approached the berth. When Steve tried to protest, Dreadwing simply shoved him away. Megatron grabbed Judgement, and she jerked awake.

"You have failed me." He was reaching for his sword with one hand, while maintaining his grip on Judgement with the other. Judgement's eyes were wide.

"I have you served you loyally since the beginning of the war, Lord Megatron," Judgement protested.

"Yes, but I believe your time of service is up." Megatron lifted his sword. "If you're going to be a failure one time, I can ensure you will always fail me. Besides, a one-handed Decepticon is more likely to fall to the Autobots in battle."

"Megatron!" Starscream emerged from the shadows and Megatron turned to her, anger smoldering in his red eyes. Judgement shot Starscream a startled look, while Steve peaked anxiously around Dreadwing. Dreadwing's arms were crossed and his expression was perfectly unreadable. "These Vehicons were operating in my mine. That makes them my men. I'll punish them on my own terms."

She glared up at Megatron. Under no circumstance was she going to back down. She knew some speculated that she was a lesser fighter than Megatron, but she had been trained by Megatron himself. She knew his fighting style inside and out, and there was no way he could surprise her. She, on the other hand, was a Vosian Seeker through and through and therefore she knew that unpredictability was one of her many talents. In other words, she did not fear a fight with the man she once considered the love of her life.

Megatron met her gaze. Now came the gamble. That particular mine had been under Soundwave's rule, and since his death everything he had been monitoring was being monitored by Shockwave now. Starscream hoped that Megatron didn't know or just didn't care enough to double-check who really oversaw the mine.

"I want this operation cleaned up." Megatron released Judgement and she began rubbing her wrist. "Get your mines under your control, Starscream."

Starscream turned her gaze to Dreadwing, alerted by the way his wings twitched. She could tell from his expression that he knew the truth, that the mine was not under her command. She just didn't know who Dreadwing was more loyal to - Megatron, as he was the leader of the Decepticons, or herself, as she was the last member of the House of Vosian Royalty.

Dreadwing just turned and walked out of the med-bay. Perhaps she should not have underestimated Seeker loyalty. Megatron stormed out of the med-bay, growling to Starscream, "If anything else happens in one of your mines, it'll be your punishment I'll be executing. I wonder what use a Seeker is without their wings."

Starscream hissed angrily as the doors closed behind Megatron. She turned to Judgement. "Are you okay?"

"I will be. Thank you, Commander Starscream."

Starscream turned to Steve. "What about the others?"

"Amenity has a head wound, but he should be fine once he wakes. Tyler will, unfortunately, be out of commission for a while, and he may always limp. I don't know what Lord Megatron will do when he finds out."

"Don't let him find out," Starscream replied. She was looking at Judgement, where the bruises were beginning to form on her wrist.

"Star'cream?"

Only one Vehicon said her name like that. Starscream looked down to see the young orphaned Vehicon named Stephen standing beside her. In his little hands he held a little communications device.

Stephen was mostly kept in the Vehicon barracks, but occasionally he stayed in the med-bay, especially on days when Megatron or Shockwave were likely to be prowling through the barracks. His parents were unknown, most likely killed in some battle, but every Vehicon treated him like their own. Starscream had been unaware of his existence until just recently, and she figured that the other commanding officers had no idea that Stephen existed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Message." Stephen held up the device.

Starscream took the device from him, thanking him. The child smiled and scampered over to Charlotte, who had reappeared. Starscream read the encryption code from the sender and nearly dropped the device in surprise. She only grew more surprised as she read the message.

"Give Stacy a proper funeral," Starscream told Steve. "Get the others back to their barracks." Clutching the device, she exited the med-bay and made her way toward the hull of the _Nemesis_.

* * *

Ratchet glanced at Knock Out and then turned her attention to a couple of yellow finches fluttering about among the branches overheard. She noticed a few crows perched in the highest branches, which were dipping under their weight, as they studied the two Cybertronians below with beady eyes.

Ratchet wasn't particularly gifted with telepathic abilities, but she reached out toward the birds with her mind. She felt only emptiness, indicating these were just regular crows, but perhaps some Vehicons had better mental shielding than others.

Her fingers twitching, Ratchet turned back to Knock Out. She was being to regret letting her friend talk her into this crazy scheme. The worst thing that could happen was that they were ambushed, injured, or killed. The best thing that could happen - on the things that could go wrong scale - was that Starscream just wouldn't show.

"Did you bring your staff?" Ratchet asked, breaking the silence. The yellow finches flew away in a flurry of wings and chirping at the sound of a voice. The crows shifted and cawed out warnings to any other crows in the area; just regular crows, then.

"Nope. I see you didn't bring your daggers."

"They wouldn't hide as easily as your staff would," Ratchet pointed out. She shifted, surveying the forest again. The crows were watching them more closely, but everything else had settled down again.

Ratchet was growing restless. She began pacing, her gaze focusing on random bits of the forest as she searched for anything that was out of place. She felt like she needed to be back the base, where Optimus and Bumblebee were. What if Bumblebee needed her? She knew, somewhere, that Optimus and the others could handle the situation, but she would just rather be there herself. She suddenly felt guilty about leaving the base with Knock Out without telling any of the others what they were planning.

"Relax," Knock Out said, surveying her nail polish. She paused just long enough to wipe some dust off her yellow wedges.

"Don't you dare tell me to relax," Ratchet snapped. "I'm your superior in every way."

"Except fashion," Knock Out sniffed. Ratchet didn't even have to look at her to know she was giving her jeans and red and white top a disapproving look. She didn't care.

Before Ratchet could snap something about vanity, the crows cawed and flew in all directions as a peregrine falcon dove down through the branches. Ratchet had seen this grand entrance enough times that she wasn't surprised when the falcon shifted into Starscream. She noted that Starscream looked different, somehow, but she couldn't figure it out.

Knock Out immediately figured it out. "Nice hair."

The red bangs that usually covered the right side of Starscream's face were pushed behind her ear, exposing the entirety of her angular face. At Knock Out's comment, Starscream just sneered.

Recovering, she said, "I was surprised to receive a message from the two of you. I was even more surprised by the way you signed it: Liaison Ratchet and High Councilor Avalon's daughter Knock Out. Pulling rank, are we?" Pulling her chin up, she said to Ratchet, "You were Liaison for maybe a full day before the war broke out."

"That's a low shot, coming from a princess who never had her coronation," Ratchet retorted.

Starscream's wings flicked angrily. Knock Out surprised Ratchet by jumping between Starscream and herself, her hands held up. "Please, we came here to talk."

"It's not my fault if she loses a verbal war she started," Ratchet huffed. She did, however, take a step back, hoping Starscream would take that as a digression.

"What is it you plan to discuss?" Starscream asked. She was talking directly to Knock Out now, making a point. Ratchet didn't care. She'd underestimated Starscream's ability to maintain a grudge, because she turned back to Ratchet and added, "And if we're taking ranks into account, maybe we should consider our wartime rankings. A Commander is higher than a Chief Medical Officer."

"Hmm...maybe we should consider what would happen if something went wrong. Would someone come to your aid, or would your husband -" - she put all her hate for Megatron into that word - "- just let you die."

"Enough!" Knock Out's staff crackled to life.

Ratchet gave her a shocked look. "You lied to me." She noticed that Starscream had unsheathed her knives, the rubies in the handles glinting. "Oh, put your weapons away. She's hardly a threat."

Starscream made no move to put her weapons away.

Knock Out growled, "We are going to have a peaceful talk - no more insults, or I will not hesitate to use this on either you."

"I thought we were on the same side," Ratchet said at the same time Starscream said, "I thought you and she were on the same side."

Putting away her Energon staff, Knock Out said, "Starscream, I talked with Steve earlier today."

"So I heard," Starscream said dismissively, putting her knives away.

"He told me that rumor has it you're not so loyal to Megatron anymore," Knock Out said.

"Just because we are no longer romantically involved does not mean I am not loyal to him or the Decepticon cause. I do not have the same fickle loyalty others do." She glared at Knock Out.

"I said no insults," Knock Out spat, though it was clearly more defensive now that she was the one being insulted.

"Starscream, would it not be in the interest of all Cybertronians for the war to end? Knock Out and I would like to form a sort of alliance with you. If something were to, say, happen to Megatron, the Decepticons would follow you," Ratchet said, drawing Starscream's attention. "You could end the war by denouncing the Decepticon call to arms, by ordering the Decepticons to begin peace-making. The Autobots would welcome a peace treaty. We could end this war with only one more death, with your help."

"Would you turn against Optimus, if you thought it would end the war?" Starscream asked darkly.

"Do you think I am here with his permission? You spoke of pulling rank. Who has a higher rank than the Prime himself?"

"Ah, yes. You should ask yourself, Ratchet, whether you're the Liaison or the Prime Lady. I do not believe you can be both," Starscream said.

"You should ask yourself whether you're the Princess of Vos or the Air Commander of the Decepticons," Ratchet replied. She felt a jolt of triumph when she saw that she'd managed to unbalance Starscream.

"I will not help you end this war," Starscream spat. "In fact, I take this as a confirmation that the Decepticons are to win this war if the Autobots are begging for peace."

"We're not begging for peace," Knock Out growled.

"We're offering peace, but if you chose to put your faith in Megatron - a man who has scorned you, who has denied Cybertronians the very freedom of fear and corruption he originally fought for - you can be sure that your downfall will be less than pleasant," Ratchet added.

Starscream just snorted, wings flaring. "You do not know the true strength of the Decepticons."

"And you underestimate the true strength of family," Knock Out told the Seeker, surprising Ratchet. "What else but the love of a mother could get a high-ranking officer to defect to the opposing team? What else but the need to protect those around her could drive a medic to attempt the formation of a secret plot to achieve peace? The Autobots stand behind each other. Who stands behind you, Starscream?"

"We're done here." Starscream twirled around and began to storm off. She briefly paused as Ratchet spoke.

"I'm the Liaison, Starscream. I have the ability to make you a queen. What does Megatron offer?"

The Vosian Princess transformed into a Harper eagle and flew off into the branches, her gray coloration blending in with the environment. Ratchet sighed and turned to Knock Out. The redhead looked dejected.

"It was a long shot," she said, voice as dejected as her expression.

"It was a false hope," Ratchet replied. "But that was a swell speech on family. Perhaps we gave Starscream something to think about. Maybe we didn't harvest the crop you wanted today, but perhaps we planted the seeds."

Knock Out didn't say anything and Ratchet reached out to Raf. _Send_ _a_ _groundbridge_ _for us, please._

 _I'm guessing Starscream wasn't willing to make a deal?_

 _Not a bit willing. How is Bumblebee?_

 _He's_ _fine_. Raf sent an image of Optimus cradling the baby in his arms while having a discussion with Ultra Magnus. Ultra Magnus was uninjured despite today's earlier mine collapse, aside from some rock dust that had yet to be washed out of his hair. _They just now realized their significant others were missing._

The groundbridge opened and Ratchet stepped through, Knock Out following. Ratchet could practically feel the disappointment rolling off her.

As soon as she entered the base, Ultra Magnus was in front of her. "Where have you been?"

"I don't answer to you," Ratchet told him.

"No, you don't." Ultra Magnus turned to Knock Out and repeated his inquiry. Knock Out snapped something about Ultra Magnus needing to go buy June and Fowler some burgers since Sideswipe and Smokescreen had eatened the ones she had bought while the others rescued the general from the mine.

Ratchet just rolled her eyes and walked over to Optimus. "Don't ask," she said, before taking Bumblebee from his arms. The child looked up at her with bright, blue eyes. "Did you miss me, little Bee?"

At this, Bumblebee extended an arm up. Ratchet laughed. "I missed you, too." She looked up at Optimus. "Was he any trouble?"

"Not a bit. If he takes after his mother, he won't be a problem until he starts talking." Optimus's eyes widen as realized what he said. "I meant...I didn't mean..."

"Don't worry," Ratchet responded, pushing down the emotions building up in her chest. "We'll teach him sign language so he'll still be able to help his mother out-sass her husband."

* * *

Starscream jumped in surprise as Shockwave practically materialized in front of her. She flared her wings to hide Stephen, who had met her when she returned to the _Nemesis_ and began following her around while she walked the corridors, lost in thought.

"What do you what, Shockwave?" Starscream spoke a little louder than usual, covering up the sound of Stephen's little footsteps as he scuttled away to hide.

"I know what you did." His mutated face, with its single, solid red eye, was made all the more disgusting by his leer.

"And what is it you think I did?" Starscream asked. She returned her wings to their normal, folded resting position.

"You think no one would notice your little meeting with that traitor and the Prime's wife?"

Starscream wasn't sure how Shockwave knew about that event. She did know, however, that he had to know about it because not even Shockwave was that good at guessing.

"What do you plan on doing about it?" she asked.

"I'll go to Megatron...someday. But he might let you slide as he always does for illogical reasons since he no longer has an attraction for you." Starscream knew that, and she felt a flash of frustration that everyone else felt the need to continue telling her that. "But first, I'll punish you myself. I find that hurting you physically would be illogical, as you'd just brush it off. Logically, hurting someone else would be the best punishment. Perhaps that toddler everyone thinks they're hiding from me?"

Starscream growled. She flared her wings again. She'd always hated Shockwave and it wasn't going to take much to get her to fight him. A threat for an innocent child's life? She'd definitely fight him then.

"Fighting me would be illogical," Shockwave warned. He didn't even have his massive gun with him, but he was far from unarmed.

Starscream pulled her wings in close, hunching her shoulders and looking down. "You're right," she admitted in defeat.

With a sneer at Starscream, Shockwave brushed past her. Just as his back was to her, Starscream swung into action, twirling around with her knives suddenly in hand. She jabbed the hilt of one into Shockwave's upper back; the scientist grunted and his knees buckled. With the other hand, Starscream ran her second dagger across his throat.

As the scientist collapsed onto the floor, Starscream said, "Fighting me is illogical."

"Princess Starscream."

Starscream spun around, weapons up, and came face to face with Dreadwing. People switched between calling her 'Princess' and 'Commander' so often that it took her awhile to realize the significant behind Dreadwing's words. He hadn't called her Princess Starscream since the beginning of the war.

"I will take care of this," he said, looking at Shockwave's still body. As Starscream started to step around him, he grabbed her wrist. When she turned to look up at him, he added, "The Seekers always stick together. To fly out of formation is a suicide wish."

Starscream was startled by Dreadwing's recital of an old Seeker adage. He released her and put his arms around Shockwave's chest so he could drag him away. Suddenly breathing hard and more confused than ever, Starscream turned and rushed to her room.

* * *

Optimus walked through the streets of Iacon. The city was bustling as usual, Cybertronians milling through the shops of this market district near the heart of the capital city. The Iacon Hall of Records wasn't far away, and neither was the Iacon Medical Academy or Iacon Hospital, which is why it made a good rendezvous spot for Ratchet and himself.

Ratchet was walking along beside him, wavy hair reaching down past her mid-back. She was dressed in scrubs, clearly just off from a shift at the hospital or going to have to return to one soon. Optimus was a little unnerved when he looked at her; something was off. She turned to him, her blue-green eyes burning with a wisdom that startled Optimus.

"Isn't this place always going to be your home?" Her voice was hers, but it wasn't. There was something richer, something more ancient in her voice. "Isn't some part of you always going to want to return here?"

"I thought so, for the longest time, but now I realize my Spark lies with my wife and my son. As long as I have them, I am home and I have no want to be anywhere else. Besides, this is not the Cybertron I would be returning to. I know I was named Prime to reign over Cybertronians, but I can do without actually being on Cybertron."

Ratchet tilted her head in an questioning gesture. Her eyes were a bright green and suddenly Optimus realized she wasn't wearing her glasses. "But someone must return to Cybertron, surely? Cybertron can't be a barren wasteland for the rest of eternity!"

Ratchet waved her hand and Optimus spun around in a circle, mouth open as Iacon fell to ruins around him. The people disappeared, and the buildings crumbled. Fires burned and smoke smothered the sky. When Optimus turned a full circle, Ratchet had been replaced by Alpha Trion.

"What is this?" he asked his teacher.

"Three beasts will reveal when Cybertron is ready."

Optimus turned as a roar echoed throughout the ruins. A great shadow appeared in the smoke above a pile of rubble. Optimus glanced back at Alpha Trion, but he was gone. He turned back to the shadow as glowing amber eyes appeared. The form revealed itself to be a massive, scaly beast with giant claws and large fangs. It opened its glowing maw and suddenly Optimus was engulfed in burning flames.

Optimus jerked awake, gasping. Beside him, Ratchet let out a sleepy groan and rolled over, but didn't wake. Bumblebee was soundly sleeping in his crib. Optimus let out a deep breath, slowly relaxing again.

He couldn't tell if the dream was a warning of disaster or an omen of revival.

* * *

 **Sorry for my long absence. I had two directions this story could go, and I mentally wrestled back and forth about which one to choose. Finally, I settled one. Yay! Now that I have a game plan again, updates should be regular...well, more regular :)**

 **Once again, thanks for all the favorites and follows. It's nice to know someone enjoys my work.**


	25. Chapter 25

Charlotte flinched when Megatron grabbed her wrist; his grip was painful, and Charlotte could only think of the bruises that had been on Judgement's wrist for weeks after Megatron had got a hold of her. The Vehicon forced herself to look into Megatron's eyes, and she hoped the fear that was coursing through her did not show in her eyes.

"Get the medic that works here, or I'll find her child and make sure she never ignores me again!" he roared.

Charlotte stumbled when he roughly shoved her away. Behind Megatron, Dreadwing was standing with his arms crossed, looking a little confused as to why Megatron had mistakenly threatened Steve as if he were a she, and more specifically, a vain and redheaded she. Charlotte had other things to worry about than Megatron's madness, however, and she hurried toward the back of the med-bay, rotating her wrist in an attempt to lessen the pain.

"Steve?"

There was no response. Charlotte began to panic. If Steve wasn't here, then Megatron was going to take his anger out on her, though Steve's absence was not her fault. She doubted that Dreadwing would do anything to defend her. Starscream had recently become unreliable, sometimes being helpful, sometimes lashing out at the nearest living thing; it was as if she couldn't decide whether to act like a dictating Decepticon officer or a Cybertronian with an actual set of morals.

Growing desperate, Charlotte reached out with her mind. _Steve, where are you? STEVE!_

Mentally shouting was rude, but it got Steve's attention. _Charlie, what's wrong?_

 _Where are you?_

 _Just outside the med-bay. I had to patch up some injuries a few Vehicons sustained when a piece of mining equipment blew. What's the problem?_

 _Megatron is here for you._ Charlotte felt a flash of fear through the mental connection before Steve cut it off.

Trying to slow her breathing, which she was failing at miserably, Charlotte slowly walked back toward Megatron and Dreadwing. She noticed that Megatron was holding something in his hand, something which made Charlotte's skin crawl. Even Dreadwing seemed unsettled, wings twitching anxiously. Perhaps he was less concerned with the thing in Megatron's hand, but more unnerved by the box he held in his arms. He must have been hiding the little box earlier when his arms were crossed, though whether this was accidental or intentional, Charlotte didn't know.

The med-bay door slid open and Steve walked in, and Charlotte felt relieved as Megatron and Dreadwing turned their attention to him. Then she felt guilty for feeling relieved as she didn't want Steve to be hurt.

"I hope she was worth it," Megatron growled.

Steve paused, clearly puzzled. "Ah, I suppose you mean I was late getting here because I was with a woman. I was not, Lord Megatron. What may I help with you today?"

Megatron threw the purple thing onto the nearest berth, and Charlotte involuntarily took a step back as some sort of energy sparked off the chunk of glowing crystal. An almost sickening aura surrounded the shard of whatever it was. From Dreadwing's reaction, Charlotte assumed it was the thing that had him so anxious. Steve looked startled.

"Where did you find that?" he asked.

"Here, surprisingly. Perhaps Earth is more connected to Cybertron than I previously realized," Megatron answered. "I believe I will have to rule both Earth and Cybertron to reach the full potential of reigning. To rule one planet is to rule only one half the empire."

"Perhaps you should concern yourself with ruling Cybertron before you worry about the inferior planet of Earth and its _Homo sapien_ occupants."

Charlotte jumped as Starscream appeared from behind Dreadwing, her angular features pulled into a sneer. Her red bangs were braided and clipped to the back of her head, resulting in a red braid on the right side of her head, contrasting with her raven hair. Just below the braid rested her silver circlet.

"Watch your mouth, Starscream," Megatron warned, voice low. "I will rule both planets. But you are right about concerning myself with ruling Cybertron. Soundwave warned me I would have to kill the Liaison to rule Cybertron, but given Ratchet's connection to the Prime, I believe I will only have to kill Optimus himself and she'll be so distraught – as will the rest of the Autobots – that I can dispatch of them without much of a challenge."

"Last time you fought Optimus, he won," Starscream pointed out.

Megatron snarled. Charlotte had to give Starscream credit for not flinching away. "The Star Saber does give him a bit of an edge, but I can fight against it with this." He gestured to the chunk of glowing purple. "Dark Energon, created from the spilt blood of Unicron himself."

Starscream looked at the Dark Energon. She frowned, and Charlotte thought she looked a little frightened, before turning back to Megatron. Suddenly, she gasped.

"You ingested some of it, didn't you?"

"It gives me more strength than you'll ever know, Starscream," Megatron said. He leaned forward in a threatening manner, and Charlotte noticed the purple tint to his eyes. "I could rip you limb from limb and not even strain."

"It'll kill you," Steve warned, speaking up. "Consuming Dark Energon only has a short period of gain, and the price is high."

Starscream laughed, flashing Steve a look. "Those are just rumors. Lord Megatron, if eating this Dark Energon gives you the edge to defeat Optimus Prime, then gorge yourself. There is no substantial evidence to suggest that Dark Energon is only a momentary gain."

"I intend to use the Dark Energon in a more direct way, though I do enjoy the thought of surprising Optimus with my Darkened strength," Megatron replied. "I intend to make the counterpart to Optimus's largest advantage, the Star Saber. I will create the Dark Star Saber, made from Dark Energon and the souls of dying Cybertronians, just as the Star Saber was created from the heart of a star, Energon, and the righteousness of Primus himself."

"The crafting of a Star Saber, or even a Dark Star Saber, is tricky business, and I do not believe we are equipped for such a crafting," Starscream said with a knowing smirk.

"The Forge of Solus Prime could do it," Steve recalled. He glanced at Charlotte as he said this; in his look, Charlotte could see just how nervous and uncomfortable he was.

"I stole the Forge from the Autobots some time ago," Megatron informed them. "So long ago that Optimus most likely doesn't remember that I have it."

"Or perhaps he is not worried about the Forge being in your possession as only a Prime can harness its power, same as the Star Saber," Starscream said, rolling her eyes.

"That is where you come in." Megatron turned to Steve, who looked startled to be signaled out. The leader of the Decepticons gestured to Dreadwing, and the Seeker lieutenant set the small box down on the berth, before backing up to stand beside Starscream. Megatron opened the box and Charlotte leaned forward in spite of herself to see nothing but what looked like skinny, white rocks that had been wore away by many centuries of weather. "These are the finger bones of Solus Prime herself."

"You desecrated her grave?" Steve asked, voice higher than usual.

Charlotte herself was horrified by the thought of raiding a tomb – and one of the original Primes' tombs at that! Starscream looked startled, and Dreadwing was frowning as if he was suddenly realizing just how far Megatron's madness reached.

"I want her bones in my hands. Then the Forge of Solus Prime will think I am a Prime and I can craft my Dark Star Saber," Megatron said, eyes alight with the light of a crazed triumph.

"What you are asking for is a…you'd need a real medic, Lord Megatron. Someone who actually trained at the Iacon Medical Academy," Steve said.

Megatron growled. "All those sorry excuses for medics work under Optimus Prime. You will find a way to make her bones mine or I'll make her pay." Megatron pointed at Charlotte.

Megatron may have been crazy, but he was an intelligent man, which made him all the more dangerous. He had made that comment about Steve being with a woman earlier to see what his reaction would be. Then Megatron had concluded, correctly, that the only woman Steve would be with was Charlotte. In fact, the warlord might have known that fact the entire time.

Steve shot Charlotte a look, and she forced herself to smile bravely at him, trying to ignore the digit Megatron was still pointing in her direction. Steve swallowed and then turned to Megatron. "I'll see what I can do. I won't let you down, Lord Megatron."

"See that you don't," Megatron said. He turned to Dreadwing and Starscream. "Where could I find the body of a loyal Decepticon to steal the soul from to use for the Dark Star Saber?"

Starscream and Dreadwing shared a look, before Dreadwing rumbled, "My twin, Skyquake, was a loyal Decepticon."

"I remember Skyquake," Megatron told him. He sent a meaningful look in Starscream's direction. "His death occurred when I was…recovering…from a spacebridge explosion. Could you direct us to Skyquake's grave, Princess?"

"Of course."

"We'll leave in ten minutes." Megatron turned and walked out of the med-bay. Dreadwing followed him, glancing back at the Dark Energon once.

Starscream started to leave, but she paused when Steve said, "You convinced Megatron it was safe to consume the Dark Energon. It will kill him."

"If only we were so lucky." With those final words, Starscream exited the med-bay.

Charlotte wasn't so sure how much of an ally Starscream was. Her identity had been Megatron's wife for so long that it had been a while since she had been herself. Now, she was becoming her own individual, and Charlotte wasn't so sure she liked Starscream. Megatron's wife and second in command Starscream had vowed to kill every Autobot to win the war; this new Starscream was either manipulating both sides to end the war or to continue the war so that when it finally ended she was the ultimate ruler…assuming she wasn't dead. New Starscream might fight to save Stephen's or even Steve's life, but rumor was that she was the one who had killed Shockwave. Now she was wishing for the death of her husband.

Charlotte was pulled from her musings by Steve, as he groaned and cried, "Charlie, I don't know if I can do this!"

Coming around the berth, he grabbed her hands, not bothered in the least about the ugly scars that Charlotte had contemplated covering with gloves. "You have to run. Get off the _Nemesis_ and as far from the Decepticons as possible," he whispered.

"If I leave, Megatron will only punish you instead," Charlotte replied. "I'm staying here."

"But if I fail –"

"You will not fail!" Charlotte interrupted forcefully. "You may not have been to the Iacon Medical Academy, but Knock Out trained you, and she was trained there. You will not fail in this task, Steve. I have full faith in you."

"Oh, Charlie, I love you," Steve breathed. He leaned forward to press his forehead to Charlotte's. "At the first chance we get, we have to get away from here."

"That's not happening."

Charlotte and Steve jumped. Dreadwing stood in the doorway, red eyes staring at them.

"From now on, this med-bay is your home. You will patch up injuries here, sleep here, and eat the Energon allotted to you by Lord Megatron here," he said. "The door locks from the outside from now on. Be ready for Lord Megatron's surgery later this afternoon." He glanced at the sickly glowly Dark Energon. "If you fail, Lord Megatron could always use some lab rats."

Dreadwing stepped back and the door slid shut. The sound was infinitely louder than it had ever been before, and Charlotte could practically feel her freedom being cut off. She grabbed Steve's hand.

"Steve, you cannot fail."

"I know."

* * *

Ratchet was standing next to Bumblebee's crib, holding the baby in her arms as she gently swayed back and forth. She sang softly, and Optimus found himself smiling. He'd heard Ratchet sing a few times before, back on Cybertron before the war, but it never ceased to amaze him how good she was.

Soothed by his mother's voice and the motion of the swaying, Bumblebee finally went to sleep. It was late at night, and Optimus had been unable to get his son to settle down. Finally, it was up to a mother's touch. Her song and her presence had done the trick.

Ratchet gently set Bumblebee down in the crib and then turned to Optimus, hands on her hips. One eyebrow was quirked in a triumphant manner; she was clearly enjoying the fact that she had finally been able to get their son to sleep, while Optimus had proven to be a failure.

Before she could say anything, someone lightly knocked on the door to their room. While Ratchet checked to make sure that Bumblebee didn't wake, Optimus walked toward the door and slowly opened it to see Ultra Magnus.

"What is it?" Optimus asked.

"There's a call for you, Sir," Ultra Magnus replied. "I think you might be surprised by the caller."

Ratchet appeared at Optimus's side, which meant that Bumblebee hadn't been awoken by Ultra Magnus's arrival. Ultra Magnus didn't say anything else, but instead walked toward the main area of the hanger. Knock Out, who had been standing nearby, joined him, matching her pace with his.

Optimus followed them, aware of Ratchet as his side. He recalled his dream in which Ratchet had turned into Alpha Trion – somehow, he could see a little of his old mentor in his wife. Both were unpredictable, and both had this way of carrying themselves that suggested they held much more power than one would discern just by looking at them.

Shaking away the lingering thoughts, Optimus composed his emotions as he approached the communications console. Ratchet moved a few paces to his right, staying out of sight of the screen and whoever was waiting on the other side of the hold symbol. Ultra Magnus and Knock Out had stopped at the same point to Optimus's left. Up above the console, Jack and Miko leaned against the railing of the catwalk, looking down. Raf was sitting on the ground beside them, laptop in his lap, though he was looking at Ratchet; given the intensity of their looks, Optimus figured they were telepathically communicating, and he selfishly wished he had the telepathic capability to tap into their conversation. Fowler and June stood on the other side of Raf, Fowler's arm around June's waist.

Bulkhead and Wheeljack stood behind Optimus, their positions strategically placed so it would seem as if they weren't purposefully part of the image but would still remind the being on the other end that Optimus had backup. Their positions made Optimus a little nervous, and more anxious to know who exactly was on the other side. Arcee stood in the far left corner of the hanger, next to her motorcycle, out of the shot but still perfectly capable of hearing the conversation. Sideswipe and Smokescreen were with her, Smokescreen entertaining Sideswipe by letting the younger Cybertronian sit on his shoulders.

Optimus glanced at Ultra Magnus, who simply gestured to the console. The Prime noticed when Knock Out took a deep breath and then pulled her chin up in a determined manner. Shifting his eyes once to Ratchet, who met his gaze evenly with her own, Optimus reached forward to hit the activation button.

The swirling symbol on the screen was immediately replaced by the sneering face of Megatron. In the dark light of the _Nemesis_ , the scars on his face had a magenta tint, and his red eyes looked very purple. His dark hair reflected back the blues and purples of the lights on the bridge; his dull gray wings offered no sheen, a direct contrast to the bright, silver wings of Starscream standing behind him. The red of her braided bangs and primary feathers were two shades darker in the lighting.

In the farthest corners of the screens, far back from the communications console on the _Nemesis_ , were Steve and Dreadwing. A rather small gathering, Optimus noted, and he wondered just how much infighting had been going on within the Decepticon ranks and how many lives it had cost.

Knock Out's show of bravery suddenly made sense.

In response to Megatron not being alone, Ratchet moved up beside Optimus, mirroring Starscream in a sense. Ultra Magnus closed ranks, and Optimus figured Knock Out did as well, seeing as how Megatron growled and his eyes darted in that direction. Knock Out didn't gulp or run away, so Optimus felt bad for misjudging her bravery and expecting her to.

"Megatron," Optimus said, meeting his old – friend's? enemy's? – burning gaze with his own. "To what do we owe the pleasure? Are you finally prepared to call off this war and compose a truce?"

"Hardly, Optimus. I've called to announce the end of the Autobots. You will die, and your wife, and your son – and any other bot who claimed allegiance to you." Megatron's eyes darted to Knock Out again. "No matter for how short an amount of time."

Knock Out's snarl surprised Optimus, but he didn't turn to look, trusting Ultra Magnus to handle her. Optimus himself was fighting back a rush of anger as Megatron directly threatened his wife and son, both of whom had already been through so much because of the Decepticon warlord. Years of practice and an abundance of self-control kept Optimus from changing his expression. Ratchet pressed up against him, and he could imagine her expression - fierce and utterly cold with just the faintest hint of anger, the very expression that had terrified misbehaving Autobots for years.

"You must have something to have boosted your confidence, Megatron. I am interested to know if you would tell me just what it is you have in store for us Autobots as our defeat is near, or so you say," Optimus replied, keeping his voice steady.

Optimus could feel the tension in the room. Sideswipe and Smokescreen had gone silent, and Optimus imagined them watching the conversation along with Arcee. June looked worried, casting glances at the kids, who were all tense and looking down. Fowler was scowling and he pulled June closer to him, perhaps subconsciously. Jack was gripping the railing so hard, his knuckles were white.

"You may have thought you gained the upper hand when you finally claimed the Star Saber, Prime, but I have a weapon that can rival that sword of yours blow for blow," Megatron gloated. He held up a glowing, purple blade with sharp, jagged edges. The hand which held the blade was covered in angry wounds, running down his fingers and the back of his hand, following the lines of bone. "Behold, the Dark Star Saber!"

"You monkey wrench!" Knock Out cried. She was backing away now, ruby eyes alight with panic. "You've doomed yourself."

"On the contrary, traitor. I've doomed you!" Megatron bellowed.

Knock Out fled. Optimus risked glancing after her, but she had simply run over to Sideswipe and taken him from Smokescreen's shoulders to hold him in her arms. She was looking at Ultra Magnus and Optimus could see the conflict in the tension of her shoulders. She wanted to flee, to save herself and her son…but now she had something else that mattered to her. A man she loved, and friends, and suddenly caring only about herself wasn't so easy.

Optimus turned back to Megatron, dread settling in his chest as he began to realize what Megatron had done.

"Dark Energon," he said.

Megatron smiled wickedly, his eyes alight with an unnatural purple gleam. "Indeed, plucked from the center of this very planet. This blade will be able to shatter that puny blade you fought so hard for."

"But how did you build such a weapon?" Ratchet asked. "You would have needed a Prime to hold the Forge of Solus Prime to …" She trailed off and glanced at Optimus, blue-green eyes filled with dawning horror.

Optimus looked back at the recently stitched up wounds tracing Megatron's hand. In the background, Steve suddenly looked queasy, and Starscream was looking at Megatron's hand with barely concealed horror. Even Dreadwing appeared anxious and upset.

"You replaced the bones of your own hand with the bones of a Prime, just so you could have the touch of a Prime," Optimus said, horror fluttering in his chest.

"Indeed, and I dug up a loyal Decepticon to use his soul to create the Dark Star Saber, so don't think I just insulted the dead of goody-goodies," Megatron sneered. He didn't see the sudden flash of anger in Dreadwing's eyes, but Optimus did.

Starscream shifted behind Megatron, her face expressionless, but her ruby eyes spoke volumes. The deep love that had once shone in them when she looked at Megatron had turned into hatred.

Suddenly, Optimus realized something that had been bothering him the entire time, though he hadn't been able to figure it out until now. Starscream's eyes were still red…and so were Steve's and Dreadwing's…but Megatron's eyes had a purple glow.

"You've ingested some of the Dark Energon," Optimus said. He could hear the surprise and horror in his own voice. Behind him, Wheeljack squeaked like she'd just tried to repress a scream.

"I am now more powerful than you, Prime!" Megatron roared.

"Being Prime doesn't make one any more powerful," Ratchet spat. "You above all else should know that, gladiator."

"Don't talk down to me, elitist," Megatron retorted. "I've hated the Elite my entire life." Behind him, Starscream flinched, perhaps recalling that she had once been part of the Elite. Then she simply glared at the back of his head. "And the Liaisons are the worst, choosing only other Elite to lead and to keep the Elite elite, while others like Orion Pax and myself rotted in poverty."

Optimus was startled by Megatron's use of his old name. Before he could think on what it meant, Ratchet clenched her fists and retorted angrily to Megatron.

"This Liaison would have helped you set things right if you hadn't turned into a psychotic murderer."

"You claim that be the case," Megatron sneered, "but your husband was promoted to Prime and I was left in the crumbling ruins of Kaon."

"You're the one who blew Kaon up!" Ratchet yelled. "And I didn't make the choice to make Orion Pax Optimus Prime!"

"I will enjoy killing you, hypocrite, after I kill your son right in front of you. But before I send your soul to the Pit, I'll promote myself to Prime and then, as you die, I'll begin to take my revenge on Optimus Prime himself." Turning away from the fuming Ratchet – her anger was nearly attacking Optimus in thick mental waves – Megatron glared at him. "This librarian is probably the biggest hypocrite."

"I don't understand, Megatron," Optimus told him.

"You wanted to make Cybertron an equal civilization, with a single ruler who would not consider himself above the people he governed," Megatron leered. "Then you fell in love with an elitist, and you let her fill your head with elitist ideals. You joined them and gladly accepted your promotion without protest and without considering the friends you left behind, who were now beneath you."

"You're the biggest hypocrite, Megatronus!" Ratchet snapped. "You wanted a peaceful rebellion, but now you've destroyed our entire planet simply because you didn't get the power you wanted."

"Ratchet, enough," Optimus said gently. Megatron and Ratchet both had too much fire in their tempers to have a civil conversation, especially when emotions got riled up.

Ratchet yielded, but Megatron said, "Yes, put her in her place." Optimus grabbed Ratchet's hand, hoping to calm her. Immediately, the physical connection strengthened their mental bond. He could tell that Ratchet would do as he asked and not retort to Megatron, but he could sense her burning anger at the comment. The next Decepticon Ratchet saw would pay for that comment. As it was, she settled for a growl.

"Megatron, you said you called to announce the defeat of the Autobots, but I do not believe one sword, regardless how powerful it is, could ever defeat the entirety of the might of my Autobots," Optimus told him.

"Ah, but I will not use this sword on all the Autobots," Megatron replied. "You see, I'm asking for a duel – you and me, sword against sword, just as it always was meant to be. A final battle, fought by traditional gladiator rules, in which only one walks away. What do you say?"

"I say you're a Decepticon and this is going to be a trap," Ultra Magnus rumbled.

Megatron shrugged. "Bring your second-in-command and another officer. Leave the rest of your Autobots at home, safe. I'll bring Starscream and Dreadwing. We'll meet tomorrow morning at dawn at these coordinates." The coordinates flashed on the screen, and Optimus could see Raf cataloging them. "What do you say, Prime?"

Optimus hesitated. Megatron was grinning, so sure of his win, of the power the Dark Energon had granted him. But then Optimus recalled Alpha Trion's vision, the future where Bumblebee grew up to be a teenager and he and Ratchet were both alive – older and bearing battle scars, but living. Perhaps this was way to reach that future. Optimus knew that Dark Energon was curse as well as blessing, and the curse outweighed the blessing.

"I accept, Megatron," Optimus replied evenly. Ratchet let go of his hand, but Optimus didn't let it bother him. He knew she was simply trying to rein in her concern and fear and didn't want Optimus to pick up on it. "I shall met you at dawn." He hung up on Megatron, because it gave him a strange bit of satisfaction to be the one to end the call instead of the warlord.

Silence. Optimus glanced at Ratchet, but she was very carefully studying Raf. June and Fowler both looked stunned, while Miko and Jack exchanged a worried glance. They were holding hands now. Raf was typing away at his computer.

Optimus turned in the other direction. Ultra Magnus was frowning in concern, his blue gaze alternating between Optimus and Knock Out, who was standing with Sideswipe still wrapped up in her arms. Sideswipe looked mostly confused, but also a little scared, picking up on the tension. Smokescreen was now standing between Wheeljack and Bulkhead; his parents both looked at Optimus like they were wondering what they would do without him, as if he were already dead. Arcee was gazing at Optimus, her expression unreadable, but the purple ring around her pupils was blazing brighter than Optimus could recall it had in the past.

"So, you're just going to fight Megatron tomorrow, him against you?" Jack asked, breaking the silence.

"And whoever wins, wins the war?" Miko added.

"It's a trap," Fowler warned. "Megatron is going to kill everyone in an ambush. Never trust the word of a Decepticon!"

"This battle may very well end the war," Optimus concluded, "If it is Megatron that falls."

"And if it isn't, then we'll continue the fight in the name of Optimus Prime," Arcee promised, walking over. "We have the Liaison, so we can just name a new Prime."

Ratchet rounded on her. "No one is replacing anyone!"

Arcee held up her hands, suddenly ashamed looking. "Sorry, I was being pessimistic. I know that people can't be replaced, better than anyone here, actually. No one could ever take the place of my fiancé, Cliffjumper."

Optimus heard Knock Out growl deep in her chest. No doubt she was thinking about the fact that she had lost her husband, Breakdown, and that Arcee was claiming she knew loss better than anyone. The team was falling into disarray.

"Enough discussion," Optimus ordered. His tone of voice had everyone looking at him, awaiting his orders. "Tomorrow, I will meet Megatron at the arranged coordinates. We will fight, as he said. Should something unexpected happen, we'll react to that. What happens after the battle can be discussed after the battle. I will take Ultra Magnus and –"

"Don't even think about going without taking me," Ratchet said.

"- and Ratchet," Optimus concluded. "My Chief Medical Officer." He added the last part to make sure the others knew she was coming because of her officer position, as well as her extreme importance to him as his wife. "Ratchet, come with me. We need to retrieve the Star Saber from storage."

The room was silent as they walked out, which made Optimus all the more anxious. He hoped the others would drift back to their rooms, but he was worried about the stress he had put on his team. He was concerned that Knock Out might actually disappear into the night, which would jeopardize Ultra Magnus's rationale.

Ratchet must have read his emotions, because she said, "She won't leave."

"How do you know?" Optimus questioned.

"Knock Out has a sense of family stronger than you would expect," Ratchet replied. Optimus recalled that Ratchet and Knock Out had spent a lot of time together recently, so it stood to reason that she knew her old friend better than anyone else. Optimus had never once questioned Ratchet's judgement – she was always right, to some extent – and he did not question it now, but instead let her response remove some of his stress. One less thing to worry about.

"Back before I knew you, I used to be confused as to why you were almost always seen with Knock Out," Optimus said. "I thought it was a strange relationship – the girl who cared only about herself, and the girl who hated everyone, including herself. Now I realize that Knock Out cares about more than herself and that you don't hate anyone. You care for them, so much that you'd rather push them away than be hurt when they get hurt. Together, you made a team – you were the person Knock Out could care about, but pretend not to care about, and she was the person you couldn't push away with simple insults and threats."

"When did you figure that out?" Ratchet asked.

"When you tried to break up with me after Sharptack threatened me. You were willing to sacrifice your happiness to keep me safe," Optimus replied. "I'm willing to sacrifice myself to keep my family safe." He meant more than just Ratchet and Bumblebee, and one glance at Ratchet told him that she had understood.

"I'm not sure I could live if you sacrificed yourself, Optimus," Ratchet replied. Her voice was shaky. "But I would try, for Bumblebee. Our son deserves a strong mother, if he can't…in the event he loses his father."

"Bumblebee couldn't have a stronger mother," Optimus said, taking Ratchet's hand in his own. They were nearing the storage room now. "And I have no intention of leaving him without a father."

They entered the storage room and went straight to the back of the room, where the Star Saber was leaning against the wall. As Optimus approached, the silver blade began to gleam, almost emitting its own blue glow. The golden hilt flashed.

"I didn't want to be Liaison," Ratchet said suddenly. "But that position keeps coming back to haunt me."

Optimus turned away from the Star Saber to look at her, but she was looking at something sitting on top of a collapsing box. Optimus followed her gaze and noticed the ruby circlet – the mark of the House of the Liaison. He was sure they had left that on Cybertron, and he could tell that Ratchet thought the same thing. But here was her old circlet, somehow right where they would notice it.

"Alpha Trion brought it here," Ratchet said, tilting her head. "I'm not sure how or why, but I know he did."

The thought that Alpha Trion guided Ratchet just as he guided Optimus was…not really disturbing, but just made Optimus extremely curious. It reminded him of an old, half-formed suspicion that had been whispered in the corners of Elite parties.

"Tomorrow, everyone wears clothes that mark their rank," Optimus decided. "You should take that."

"I'm the Autobot Chief Medical Officer," Ratchet protested.

"You're also the Liaison. That circlet wouldn't be here if it wasn't intended for you."

The two looked at each other. Ratchet reached for the ruby circlet and Optimus reached for the Star Saber. They grabbed the objects at the same time and the blade glowed blue. The rubies refracted various shades of red over them, with some tinges of purple.

"I love you," Optimus said.

Ratchet kissed him. "Don't die," she murmured.

"I don't plan to."

* * *

Knock Out straightened the strap of Ratchet's dress. Ratchet looked at herself in the mirror, trying hard not to gag. The last time she had worn something similar, Optimus had been made Prime (which wasn't a bad thing), and Megatron had declared war, supported by Starscream (which was a bad thing), and Ratchet's father had fallen to his death (which hadn't been good or bad, just sort of sickening).

Knock Out had drug out a white, loose-fitting dress that halted just above Ratchet's knees. The V-neck was low, but not exposing, so Ratchet didn't argue too much; she even felt safe to move without being in danger of having a wardrobe malfunction. A ruby-red belt circled her waist, and her two daggers – recently cleaned so they gleamed – hung on either side. She was wearing red flats because she could actually maneuver in those shoes instead of the heels Knock Out had originally suggested. The only jewelry she had was the ruby circlet, which glittered in her strawberry blonde hair.

"Your hair was grown out," Knock Out commented. She tugged on a strand.

It had grown out, because Ratchet had been too busy in recent months to cut it. It no longer brushed her shoulders, but extended past her shoulders. Ratchet reached up to straighten her glasses, but then she drew her fingers through her hair as she lowered her hand.

"I miss the waves," Knock Out continued.

"The waves disappeared after fire damage," Ratchet replied. "I was too close to an explosion." Not entirely true, but close enough.

"You're lucky only your hair was damaged."

"You have no idea," Ratchet said.

"I managed to get Magnus to put on a nice suit this morning," Knock Out chattered. "I made him put on a lightweight breastplate under it. You can't see it, but at least will offer some protection in case Megatron is planning something devious."

In the beginning of the war, both sides had worn heavy armor. As the war continued, heavy armor had been switched out for lightweight armor that provided little protection but made maneuvering easy. Once the war moved to Earth, armor had been disbanded as the battles become more like little skirmishes that were unplanned. These days, Vehicons alone wore armor, and Ratchet figured it was because they faced more dangers in the Energon mines than they did on the battlefield. Knock Out must have given Ultra Magnus a breastplate from the time they were phasing out armor.

Walking away from the mirror and Knock Out, Ratchet picked up Bumblebee. Her son looked at him with his blue eyes. Ratchet's heart shattered, and she was suddenly fearful this would be the last time she would ever see her son. She hugged him close.

"Your mother loves you, Bee, and don't you ever forget it," she whispered, aware of how raw her voice sounded.

Drawing her emotions into her, Ratchet imagined herself swallowing them and hiding them away until she was calm and collected. The trick had gotten her through some hard times. Once swallowed, the emotions could be controlled, or perhaps they might even dissolve. Ratchet turned to Knock Out.

"If anything happens today, I want you to take care of Bumblebee," she said.

Knock Out blinked in surprise. "Me? But I'm not exactly mother material."

"You are doing a wonderful job raising Sideswipe, and I know you'll do the same for Bumblebee," Ratchet insisted. She meant it, each and every word.

"I'd be honored," Knock Out replied.

Ratchet passed Bumblebee to her. Bumblebee gurgled, and turned his gaze from the redhead to his mother. The sight was heartbreaking, and Ratchet realized there was one last thing she needed from Knock Out.

"Take care of Raf, too," Ratchet said. "And make sure Bumblebee knows the truth about his parents."

"Bumblebee will know that his parents were the bravest, fiercest, and most honorable of Cybertronians," Knock Out promised.

Not trusting herself to speak, Ratchet simply nodded her thanks and walked out. Sideswipe passed her, going to his mother, but he paused to smile broadly at Ratchet. She stepped out into the main hanger. June and Fowler were standing at the entrance, holding hands. Raf was at the command console, prepared to start up the groundbridge. Optimus was talking to Jack, and Ultra Magnus was standing alone.

Knock Out must have trimmed his beard, because his jawlines were sharp. He was wearing a dark blue suit with a gold tie. Ratchet knew he was wearing a breastplate, but she couldn't see it, as Knock Out had said. From his belt hung his hammer and his large pistol.

Optimus was wearing jeans, but he had on a red breastplate over a gray long-sleeve shirt. Usually, he would have two swords and a gun, but today he only had the Star Saber slung over his back. He looked over at Ratchet, and offered her an encouraging smile. Ratchet offered one in return and then walked over to Raf.

"You'll be careful, won't you?" he asked, looking up at her. His brown eyes were full of worry.

"You should know by now that your guardian is too stubborn to die," Ratchet said, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

"I prayed to God and Primus for good luck today," Raf admitted. "I'm not sure if Primus heard me, since I'm human, and I'm not sure if God can help you, since you're Cybertronian."

Ratchet paused and then replied, "Primus hears all who reach out to him and your God is considered a Father, yes?" Raf nodded and she continued with, "Then I imagine God will grace us, too, as a Father cares for His children's friends. He must have been able to sense your goodness and the depth of your care for us, so I imagine He will help us."

"Well, two deities are more than the Decepticons have, right?" Raf replied. She could tell he was trying to make a joke, so she laughed.

"Bumblebee is lucky to have a brother like you," Ratchet said.

Raf blinked. "A brother?" Then he smiled. "I would gladly be Bee's brother."

Ratchet just smiled. She wondered if this small boy realized exactly what she was saying. Optimus and she had always talked of having kids, but it wasn't until after they started interacting with Raf that Ratchet decided she wanted kids.

Ratchet took a deep breath and then did something she hadn't done in a while. She prayed, projecting her thoughts into nothingness instead of to a specific individual.

 _Primus, please protect my husband, a loyal and good Prime who lives by your ideals. God, a little bit of good grace would be appreciated, even if I am not a human._

* * *

Optimus reached out to clap his hand onto Jack's shoulder. "You remind me of myself when I was younger," he said. "I believe you will make a great man, Jackson Darby."

"Better than my father, huh?" Jack asked.

Optimus nearly flinched at the reminder of Jason Darby, whose death he had played a roll in. But he saw that Jack wasn't being accusing, and in fact, his blue eyes were shining with something like hope – hope that he would never be as corrupt and immoral as his father.

"You will never be like Jason Darby," Optimus told him.

Ultra Magnus walked up. His gaze was sharp and controlled – all seriousness today. "It's time to go, Prime."

"Don't let Megatron win," Jack said as Optimus and Ultra Magnus departed.

Optimus paused just long enough to turn back and say, "I won't."

He joined Ratchet and Ultra Magnus in front of the offline groundbridge. He took his place between them, and Ratchet stood to his left, while Ultra Magnus stood to his right. Together, they represented the top trio in the Autobot hierarchy.

The perfect way to cause chaos in the Autobot ranks, were Megatron planning to kill them.

Ratchet nodded at Raf and the groundbridge swirled to life. Stepping through the portal, Optimus found himself on a grassy plain. To the right was a dense forest, the perfect place to hide any army. To the left was a cliff. Far below, Optimus could see more forest and jagged rocks.

"I can't sense anyone in the forest," Ultra Magnus informed Optimus.

"Megatron has wings and he'll use those to his advantage. He'll try to throw you off the cliff. Don't let him," Ratchet said.

Starscream landed ten yards away in a flash of silver. The Decepticons must have also decided to dress according to rank, because she was wearing a short, silver dress with a halter-top style strap. The back was low, giving her silver wings plenty of room to move. The red primary feathers had been decorated with ruby dust, and they glittered in the dawning sunlight. Her silver heels were tall, but Optimus knew that Starscream could still move and fight in those shoes. Her long, black hair was glossy, and her dyed red bangs were braided and pinned up along the side of her head. Her silver circlet glinted, and the large ruby that hung down on her forehead shimmered.

She was joined by Dreadwing, who was oddly dressed in the garb of the Vosian Royal Guard instead of a Decepticon commander. His suit was dark blue, darker than Ultra Magnus's, and he had a yellow tie. Golden wristbands gleamed on his wrists, the mark of the Vosian Royal Guard. Like Starscream, his yellow primary feathers glittered, like powered gold had been rubbed on the feathers. The rest of the dark blue feathers were groomed so that the feathers glinted in various shades of blue in the sunlight.

Megatron landed last, in front of Starscream and Dreadwing. His dull gray wings weren't as cleaned and decorated as the Seekers' wings, but Seekers had always been prideful when it came to their wings. The Decepticon leader was wearing gray cargo pants and a gray breastplate with no shirt underneath. His boots were laced tight, and the Dark Star Saber glowed purple, held in the scarred hand of a madman.

"A fight to the death, as befits a gladiator," he said.

"Megatron, I want to know that this battle will end the war. Whoever walks away today, Autobot leader or Decepticon leader, will be the fraction who wins the war," Optimus said.

Megatron laughed. "There is no chance you will today, Optimus, but this battle will not end the war. The war will end when every Autobot is crushed under the might of my Decepticons!"

"The Dark Energon is affecting his thought processes," Ratchet murmured. She was speaking quietly, but Megatron noticed, so she switched to a telepathic communication. _He's power hungry and the Dark Energon will make him anger easier. Anger will cloud his judgement and he'll make mistakes._

 _Sound advice, my love._

"It does not matter, Megatron, as you will be the one who does not walk away today," Optimus said, pulling the Star Saber off his back. The sword glowed in his grasp. "One shall stand."

"One shall fall," Megatron replied. And then he charged.

Optimus met him half-way between the two groups. Their swords clashed, shooting off blue and purple sparks. The two exchanged blows, parrying and striking, though neither was able to land a blow. Recalling Ratchet's observation of the cliff, Optimus kept Megatron between him and the cliff. Finally, Optimus got lucky and clipped Megatron's wing. Megatron roared in anger and kicked Optimus away. Optimus staggered back as gray feathers drifted to the ground. The wound was superficial and wouldn't inhibit Megatron's ability to fly, but there was a sense of accomplishment in being the first to wound the other.

They met again, but this time it was Optimus who was injured. He staggered away, his thigh burning from a cut down the side of his leg. Megatron rushed forward, sensing victory, but Optimus used his momentum against him, shoving the Decepticon leader past him so he could attack his undefended back. He slashed up the length of his uninjured wing. Megatron cried out and the wing went limp, dragging behind him.

Again and again they clashed, staggering apart when one was injured, until the sun was well above the horizon. Both of Megatron's wings hung limply behind him and he had wound on his shoulder. A deep gouge slashed across his breastplate, but he was uninjured underneath. Optimus's thigh was burning, and both of his arms were slashed up, dripping Energon onto the grassy ground. Both of them were breathing hard and sweaty, and Optimus figured Megatron's muscles were burning just like his. Exhaustion threatened to overpower Optimus.

It would have been easier to shift into some animal and continue the battle, but gladiator rules stated that transformations were illegal. So was taking a break, which Optimus would have been grateful for. Battles had rarely lasted longer than a few minutes in past years, and he was worried he had lost the stamina to battle all day like he had in the beginning of the war.

Pain spiked from Optimus's injured thigh and he stumbled. Megatron took advantage of his unbalance and struck, the Dark Star Saber leaving a painful gash in the calf of Optimus's opposite leg. Optimus managed to parry away a kill strike, and Megatron dropped the blade and lunged at Optimus barehanded.

Somehow, he grabbed Optimus's wrist and jerked, something snapping. The pain was instantaneous and Optimus dropped the Star Saber. He soon found himself flung to the ground near the cliff, several feet away from Megatron.

Optimus tried to stand, but his wrist and legs seemed unable to bear his weight. Megatron moved frustratingly slow, bending down to pick up his Dark Star Saber and then approaching at a leisurely walk. He grinned in triumph.

Optimus realized he had miscalculated. Megatron's consumption of Dark Energon had granted him superior strength and stamina longer than he would have thought possible. And Optimus was about to pay the price of his misjudgment. He tried to summon the Star Saber to him as he had done before, but this time the blade didn't appear in his hands.

A flash of rage passed through, sharp and overpowering. Rage that it was ending like this. Rage that he was so weak. Rage that the Star Saber wouldn't return to him. Rage that Alpha Trion had groomed him for war, only for him to lose. Rage at Megatron and everyone other Decepticon that had caused the loss of life in this needless war. Rage that he was leaving Ratchet alone. Rage that he would never see Bumblebee grow up into a young man.

"Optimus!"

Optimus looked over to see Ratchet, the Star Saber glowing in her hands. Ultra Magnus was standing behind her, looking completely stunned. Ratchet threw the sword and Optimus reached out with his good arm and caught the blade.

Just as Megatron attacked, Optimus swept the Star Saber in an arc in front of him, sweeping Megatron's legs out from under him. While the Decepticon leader was unbalanced, Optimus grabbed him, ignoring his wounds, and flung Megatron over him. Megatron yelled as he skidded over the edge of the cliff. The Dark Star Saber clattered to the ground.

Ratchet rushed over to Optimus and began checking his wounds. Optimus looked her hands, amazed to find her uninjured.

"You held the Star Saber," he wheezed. "And you're not hurt."

Ratchet jerked his wrist, putting it back in place, and Optimus winced. He really wanted to scream, but he doubted that would look very victorious. Ratchet shrugged. "I don't know how. Maybe…well, we thought the sword was semi-sentient, so maybe it could tell I was intending to help a Prime. Perhaps the Star Saber is not meant to be understood."

"Prime!"

The roar came from the cliff and Optimus looked over to see Megatron's hands, one scarred and one splattered with Energon, clinging to the edge. The rest of the warlord was out of sight. Optimus had damaged Megatron's wings so he couldn't fly, but he could still transform. Optimus got the sense he would not transform, though, because the match had not yet been settled. Both adversaries were still breathing.

Starscream rushed over and stood over the cliff, looking down at her husband and leader. Ratchet remained beside Optimus, one hand on his shoulder, the other grasping his in an almost painful grip. Optimus shifted onto his knees, in case he needed to get up. Behind him, he could hear Ultra Magnus and Dreadwing approaching.

"Starscream, help me," Megatron said.

"Wouldn't that be cheating?" Starscream replied.

"That wretched Elite already helped Optimus. I am in need of your assistance!" Megatron roared. Optimus could see him straining, trying to pull himself up, but he couldn't.

"You need my assistance," Starscream said, sounding out each syllable. She sneered. "How unfortunate."

She spread her wings and Optimus gasped as the feathers changed. They grew more metallic, literally, shifting into sharp weapons. Her wings became rows of daggers. There had always been rumors that Starscream had a Seeker ability, but nothing had been confirmed. Now Optimus knew that she had a Seeker ability, one that might appear harmless but was more dangerous than it seemed – a perfect ability for a Seeker who was viewed the same way by many.

Starscream's wings slashed down, toward Megatron. When she lifted her wings again, they had reverted to regular downy feathers. Energon dripped from her wings. Megatron's hands went slack and then disappeared. Optimus surged forward, standing and staggering to the cliff, grateful Ratchet was by his side to help support him.

Together, they watched as Megatron fell, the warlord finally defeated. He fell, dull gray feathers ripping from his broken wings. In a way, Optimus had to acknowledge that it was almost a poetic end for him.

Optimus and Ratchet glanced at each other. In her gaze, he could see reflected the same daring hope, the hope that the war was finally over, that the bloodshed had ended when Megatron had fallen from the cliff. Suddenly, her gaze shot past him and Optimus turned to face Starscream, who had approached them. Energon was splattered on her face and throat. She didn't threaten them, but simply spoke.

"I believe there is much we need to discuss."

* * *

 **Just a few more chapters to wrap this story up. I'm excited to finally reach a conclusion.**

 **Thanks to all the readers who stuck with me this long :).**


	26. Chapter 26

Jack sighed as Miko fiddled with his collar again. "It's straight."

"No, it's not," she protested.

"That's because you keep messing with it." Jack gently pushed her hands away. She frowned, and he hurriedly thought of something to say to make her cheery again. "You look nice, by the way."

Miko beamed. "Really? Thank you!" She was wearing a black dress and black wedges because today called for formal attire. "You look rather handsome, I suppose. Better than usual."

"Thanks…I think," Jack responded. He supposed his usual wasn't all that good-looking, given her dialogue. He was wearing an outfit his mother had picked out: dress slacks with a light blue, button-up shirt. June had tried to get him to wear a tie, but he'd refused.

"Let's look at the others," Miko gushed, running to the railing.

Jack followed her, moving more slowly. They were soon joined by Raf, who had been unfortunate enough to be put in a full suit, courtesy of his guardian and her redhead friend. He kept pulling at the collar of his tie like it was choking him. June and Fowler eventually sauntered over. Fowler was wearing a suit like always, but June had on a loose-fitting dress that was the same shade of blue as Jack's shirt.

The Cybertronians gathered below, wearing their finest. Today's ceremony required everyone look their best. Sideswipe was protesting his red button-up shirt, but Knock Out snapped something that had him give up and resign himself to wearing the shirt. Knock Out herself was dressed in a slim-fitting, strapless, red dress that stopped at her mid-thigh. Her silver and gold heels accented her yellow and gray jewelry. A gold choker glittered at her neck, an old symbol of Elite power. Ultra Magnus was wearing the same suit he'd worn to the duel yesterday, but without the weapons.

Jack smiled at his guardian as she frowned at her dark blue, summer-style dress. Her outfit was completed with black wedges and a large, purple necklace. Arcee stuck her tongue out at Jack, expressing her displeasure at her current outfit. No doubt she was upset she had to leave her pistols and knives behind when they left.

Bulkhead's polo shirt was Army green. Smokescreen's suit was complete with a blue undershirt and a yellow tie. Wheeljack's white dress was all cut up along the hem, like that of some island castaway, but the style matched the explosives expert. The dress had lace sleeves that were green and splotches of color that were red – an odd color combination, but it was Wheeljack's combination.

Optimus was wearing a dark blue suit with a red button-up. He's somehow managed to convince Knock Out, who'd been the fashion police all morning, he didn't need a tie. His wounds were covered, so Jack couldn't see how much they had healed, but he seemed to be free of pain as he moved without limping. He was holding Bumblebee, who'd been clad in yellow and black. Ratchet's dress was long and hugged her curves before flaring out at her knees. The white coloration reminded Jack of a wedding dress, but Cybertronians associated colors with individuals, not events. The medic completed her outfit with red heels, a decent quantity of ruby jewelry, and the ruby circlet.

The circlet which gave Ratchet the power to perform today's ceremony.

"I can't believe Starscream agreed to this," Jack said.

"I can," Fowler grumped. "It gives her all the power."

"Bill, we already talked it over with Optimus and Ratchet. They think it's a good idea," June reminded him. "I think it's fantastic that the war is finally over."

"If it's really over," Fowler grumped. "I don't trust Starscream. Once a Decepticon, always a Decepticon."

"She killed Megatron," June pointed out.

Jack was distracted from the mild squabble as Smokescreen excitedly asked, "Can I start the groundbridge? Can I?" It was sometimes easy to forget Smokescreen was Jack's age, given the large number of battles he had seen.

Optimus gave him the go-ahead signal (a nod of his head since he was holding Bumblebee), and Smokescreen activated the bridge. The green vortex swirled to life with a familiar roar. Optimus walked through first, Ratchet at his side.

"Come on!" Miko grabbed Jack's hand and drug him down the stairs and across the hanger, ignoring his protest. They ran through the groundbridge and halted, Miko muttering, "Whoa."

The _Nemesis_ hovered far overhead, its shadow falling to the right of the gathered crowd. Some sort of pink flowering trees dominated the landscape, their trunks and limbs dark and twisted. A gentle breeze was blowing, sending a few petals down at a time.

Gathered beneath the trees were the Vehicons. They weren't wearing armor – the females were all in black dresses, and the males all had dark suits. Wings of multiple colors, which had been painted black under Megatron's rule, were visible on some of the Vehicons; some were the slender wings of Seekers, while others were the broader wings of other flyers. The Vehicons had created a walkway though their midst, and many were watching Optimus and Ratchet as they walked up the aisle.

Arcee, who had entered the groundbridge behind Jack and Miko, said, "Don't be shy. Move to the front."

The entire Autobot procession walked through the crowd of Vehicons. It wasn't until they reached the other side that Jack realized he was still holding Miko's hand. He swung his arm, attempting to get her attention, but the Japanese girl just smiled at him. In the end, Jack just smiled back didn't let go.

The Autobots stood on the left-hand side of the aisle, with the exception of Optimus and Ratchet, who stood in the center. Dreadwing, dressed in a dark blue suit, was with them. When he moved, Jack realized Dreadwing had on gold wristbands. Standing across the walkway at the same point the Autobots were was a group of Vehicons that Jack guessed must be officers of some sort. He was fairly sure one man was the Vehicon known as Steve, the medic who had replaced Knock Out, and he was standing hand-in-hand with a woman with scars on her hands. There was a young boy standing beside her, and then an older couple.

Jack turned his attention to Dreadwing as the Seeker turned to the crowd. "Today, we disband our wartime fractions. Autobot. Decepticon. These are meaningless words, not worth being killed for, not worth fighting for." The Vehicons erupted into cheers.

Once the last echo had faded away, Dreadwing continued. "I, Dreadwing of the Vosian Royal Guard, welcome Ultra Magnus, the Prime Guard, and Knock Out, daughter of High Councilor Avalon and now the Prime Lady Guard. I also welcome Bumblebee, the young son of Optimus and Ratchet. Finally, I welcome Ratchet, the Prime Lady, and, of course, her husband, Optimus Prime."

"Wow, Cybertronian culture really does care a lot about rank and title," Miko whispered to Jack. Jack only nodded in response, as Dreadwing continued his speech.

"The Prime Lady is also the Liaison, and she is here for the coronation of Princess Starscream of the House of Vosian Royalty!"

More cheers from the Vehicons, especially the Seekers. Dreadwing moved over to stand beside Steve, while Optimus stepped back, leaving Ratchet front and center.

"Well, now, where is Starscream?" Fowler asked quietly, clearly suspicious.

"There!" Raf pointed down the aisle.

Jack leaned forward and was immediately surprised by how different Starscream looked. Her silver dress had a low back and reflected the sunlight so it almost appeared as if she was moving in a moonbeam. Her heels, when he caught a glimpse of them, were bright red. Silver arms bands ran up and down the entire length of her arms. Her silver circlet gleamed and her black hair had diamonds tied in it, so she appeared to have the very night sky on her shoulders. The dyed red bangs were gone, chopped off. The red primary feathers of her wings had ruby dust on them, and the rest of her wings had been decorated with diamonds.

"Seeker royalty through and through," Wheeljack commented in a hushed tone. "Everything has to be bright and sparkly – and expensive."

Starscream halted before Ratchet and nodded once. "Liaison."

Ratchet returned the nod. "Princess."

Jack got a funny tingling in his sternum. He realized this was an old ritual, used by countless generations of Seeker queens and Liaisons. But today marked the first time the ritual had been used on a planet that was not Cybertron, the first time it had been spoken in a tongue that wasn't Cybertronian.

Starscream knelt and Ratchet removed the silver circlet from her head. "The legitimate daughter of Blazing Star and Sonicscream shall take the weight of leadership, and shall command the Seekers, as well as all the others who choose to follow her," Ratchet proclaimed. "May she have a sense of morals as swift and powerful as the greatest warriors, and may her followers find peace in her reign. I present Queen Starscream, a Seeker queen." Ratchet replaced the circlet on Starscream's head and the new queen stood. The Vehicons cheered, louder than ever before. Seekers raised their wings in some kind of salute, even Dreadwing. The former Autobots clapped.

Perhaps it was residue from the memories Jack had shared with Optimus, the inishgts to Cybertornian culture he had seen, but Jack knew that Ratchet had changed the words to match Starscream's unique circumstance. The true ritual would have gone: _The legitimate daughter of Blazing Star and Sonicscream shall take the throne of Vos, and shall command the Seekers. May she have a swift sense of judgement, and may she be as powerful as the mightiest Seeker flier. May her subjects find s_ _afety in her reign. I present Queen Starscream, a Queen of Vos._ Jack liked Ratchet's version better.

Starscream whirled around to face the crowd, holding her hands up to gesture for silence. When the crowd had quieted, Starscream cried, "Now you must choose – will you follow a Prime, or a queen?"

The Autobots tensed. "I knew we couldn't trust her!" Arcee snarled.

"No, wait, Starscream is not asking for bloodshed," Optimus said, stepping forward. He passed Bumblebee to Ratchet as he walked past her and stopped beside Starscream. "This is a choice every Cybertronian must make for themselves. Starscream will take the _Nemesis_ and return to Cybertron to see if it is possible to rebuild. I will remain on Earth. Every Cybertronian is free to choose either path – Earth or Cybertron. Earth comes with a Prime, and Cybertron with a queen."

"Yes, Queen Starscream, the first of the House of the Royalty of Cybertron," Ratchet declared. "A new title for a new type of leader."

"When do we have to leave by?" Steve asked.

"The _Nemesis_ departs at dawn, but I would prefer to have everyone onboard by nightfall," Starscream replied.

"I will return to Cybertron with you, my queen," Steve said. "Charlotte and Stephen will accompany me."

"I, too, shall return to Cybertron with my queen," Dreadwing rumbled.

"One thing." It was the elderly female Vehicon who spoke. "If the Liaison remains here as the Prime Lady, who shall perform the coronation for the next Royalty of Cybertron?"

"Judgement has a good point," Starscream conceded. She scowled. "Though I do not expect to be replaced for some time."

Ratchet removed the ruby circlet from her head after Optimus took Bumblebee back from her. "I believe it is time for the House of the Liaison to be made of new blood. A Liaison will not give new titles to Cybertronian leaders on Earth." She stepped forward until she was in front of the woman with scarred hands. "Charlotte, you have sacrificed so much to prove your loyalty…not to Megatron, but to righteousness. I can think of no one else who deserves this circlet. You probably deserve it even more than I do." Ratchet settled the circlet on Charlotte's dark brunette hair. "Congratulations, Liaison Charlotte."

Ratchet stepped back as the cheering erupted from the crowd again, including from the former Autobots. Steve kissed Charlotte, which resulted in the cheering growing even louder.

"Let us celebrate the end of the war!" Starscream called.

"Told you we could trust her," June whispered to Fowler, who scowled grumpily.

"And let us look to a brighter future!" Optimus added to Starscream's statement. "A future individually chosen by all of us."

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Jack interacted with several former Decepticons. Some had very Cybertronian names, some had Earth names, and some had names from other various alien planets. Charlotte was very honored by her new position, and many had begun calling her the first of the House of the Scarred Liaison, in an attempt to prove no one was perfect and superior. Ratchet seemed totally fine with being told the House of the Liaison would die with her. Smokescreen began playing music from some high-tech speaker he had brought and dances broke out underneath the trees. At one point, Jack spied Optimus and Ratchet dancing together.

Starscream was pleasant enough when she happened to be near Jack. At least she hadn't threatened to harm him. Instead, she sniffed, "You may just turn out decent – for a human." Then she was gone.

Miko convinced Jack to dance with her and he did, enjoying himself until he saw June and Fowler dancing together. Suddenly, dancing didn't seem as enjoyable.

Raf spent the afternoon holding Bumblebee and introducing him as his little brother whenever others come to coo over him. Bumblebee alternately slept or giggled throughout the afternoon. Jack might have been crazy, but he was sure that Bumblebee giggled when Optimus or Ratchet were near, as if he could sense his parents were close.

The highlight was near the end of the afternoon, when Knock Out told Ultra Magnus he'd better start planning a wedding soon.

"Why?" the general asked, clearly perplexed.

"Because you're going to be a father," Knock Out replied with a smile.

Miko squealed in excitement, grabbing Jack's arm and squeezing. Ratchet and June shared a knowing look, while Wheeljack simply smirked. Starscream's expression surprised Jack; she looked amused, and he hadn't known that Starscream even knew what humor was.

Ultra Magnus, however, didn't get it. "Of course I'll be a father when we get married. A step-father, technically, but I'll always consider Sideswipe my own and –"

"I wasn't talking about Sideswipe," Knock Out interrupted.

"Wait…" Ultra Magnus looked at her. "You mean you're…I going to be a father." He swayed and then collapsed.

Knock Out cursed in German. "Anybody have any rules they can break right this moment? He always wakes up when rules are being broken."

As the sun set, Starscream returned to the _Nemesis_. The other former Decepticons were joining her; not a single one had decided to try to live on Earth. Jack didn't blame them. They hadn't learned to appreciate Earth and humans the way the Autobots had and they were hopeful they could rebuild their home world. Jack would have taken that chance had the roles been reversed.

The Autobots were gathering, preparing to go home. Ratchet and Optimus were talking with Raf, who was still holding Bumblebee. Optimus had an arm wrapped around Ratchet's waist. Wheeljack was annoying Bulkhead bu throwing pink flowers at him, while Smokescreen, Sideswipe, and Miko played a game of tag (and how Miko was doing that in a dress, Jack wasn't sure). June and Fowler were standing together, watching the tag players. Knock Out and Ultra Magnus – who had recovered from his earlier fainting – were discussing their wedding. Knock Out wanted it to be as soon as possible, so she didn't show in her wedding dress, though she was barely a few weeks along and wouldn't be showing for a while.

Jack hoped her pregnancy was not as chaotic and stressful as Ratchet's had been.

As the last of the Vehicons prepared to board the _Nemesis_ , Jack approached Arcee, who was standing a little ways off from the others.

"So, you ready to spend the rest of your life on Earth?" he teased.

Arcee's serious expression evaporated Jack's sense of humor. "I think I'm going to return to Cybertron, Jack."

"What? Why? You have friends here, a family," Jack protested. His voice sounded tight.

"Yes, but I lost Cliffjumper here. I lost Tailgate on Cybertron, I know, but…I can't explain it, Jack, but I feel those two all the time, like they're restless spirits who follow me around." Arcee met his gaze. "I have to get to Cybertron, where it all began, and then maybe I'll find some peace for all of us."

Jack sighed, pushing down his grief. "I think I understand. You do what you have to do to find happiness, Arcee."

"This isn't an easy choice, Jack. You are right that I have a family here, a family I will miss, and the best partner anyone could ask for. But I feel like my life – my happiness – lies out there." She gestured in an upward arc, indicating her happiness lay beyond Earth.

Jack smiled, though he knew it contrasted with the sadness in his eyes. "Don't make me hunt you down." It was the same thing she had said to him when he had tried to leave the Autobots after first meeting them.

"You could never find me, unless I wanted to be found," Arcee replied, attempting to make the comment humorous.

She smiled, and Jack could see that she really would be heartbroken about leaving behind the team, her family. Jack returned the smile, trying to ignore the fact that his eyes were stinging.

"Goodbye, Jack." She didn't embrace him, but that wasn't Arcee's style. She turned and trotted off, joining the last group of former Decepticons heading up to the _Nemesis_. Jack quickly wiped his tears away.

"Goodbye, Arcee."

Miko walked up beside him. Jack expected her to say something to attempt to raise his spirits, but she didn't, apparently realizing it would be best if he sorted out his own feelings. She reached out and took his hand in hers and he turned to look at her. She offered a sad smile, and Jack freely gave one in return.

"Let's go home," she said.

* * *

The last burning bit of sun sunk below the horizon. Starscream stood on the bridge of the _Nemesis_ , still wearing her fine silver dress. Diamonds still glittered in her hair, but she'd removed the diamonds and glitter from her wings. It might have looked nice, but it was rather irritating to have things stuck on her feathers.

"Night has fallen, my queen," Dreadwing needlessly informed her. He was still dressed in his finest.

"Formalities are not necessary," Starscream told him. "I may be the Queen of Cybertron, but no sense in reminding everyone of that every time they speak to me. That is where the Elite went wrong, in using their titles as a way to remind everyone they were beneath them. I will not make the same mistake."

Dreadwing dipped his head. "Of course, Qu – Starscream."

"Please check on the Vehic –" Starscream paused. It no longer seemed right to call them Vehicons, which Megatron had called them to make them all nameless soldiers. "Check on the Cybertronians on my ship. I want a full count of who's here. And, Dreadwing, maybe you could get a list of names. Most haven't been asked that in a while."

"Of course," Dreadwing replied. He turned and headed for the exit.

Starscream turned to see who else was on the bridge. Steve was standing with Charlotte and Stephen near the exit. Starscream figured Steve and Charlotte would be getting married soon, and Stephen had sort of become their adopted child. Judgement and Amenity were standing at the far end of the bridge, looking out at the night sky as the stars began to appear.

"Just think, Amenity, we could soon be seeing the constellations of Cybertron," Judgement sighed.

Amenity leaned against her. "My favorite constellation was always the Sorcerer Stone, the –"

"Instrument of Judgement," his wife finished. "How sappy."

"It's a good thing you enjoy sappy comments."

Judgement laughed. "That I do."

Starscream stayed where she was, lost in thought. Before she had returned to the _Nemesis_ , Optimus had told her he had had a vision from Alpha Trion. He'd said he'd been told that three beasts would reveal when Cybertron was ready. Ready for what, he hadn't been told, but he had guessed Alpha Trion meant ready for civilization again.

Starscream found that ironic, beasts revealing Cybertron could house civilization again. She was fairly sure the beast Optimus had described was a Predacon, which was interesting, considering they were supposed to have been extinct since the first modern Cybertronians – the first Thirteen – had walked on Cybertron.

Whatever the case, Starscream would meet the challenge head-on and find her own way forward. She was curious as to why Optimus had told her the message like it was her problem to deal with instead of returning to Cybertron to face the three beasts himself. Alpha Trion must have underestimated Optimus's attachment to Earth, or maybe Starscream was always meant to be the one to handle the beasts.

"I'm surprised, Starscream."

Starscream turned to face Arcee, shoving aside her thoughts on Predacons and Primes. Optimus had brought Arcee her supplies and she had changed into a blue and purple plaid shirt and skinny jeans with dark blue flats. Her black hair was held back by a dark blue headband, and a few streaks were dyed a dark blue.

"Surprised about what?" Starscream asked. She wished she could say Arcee's presence didn't bother her, but the former Autobot unnerved her. Even though Starscream and Optimus had ended the war, Arcee still made Starscream feel tense, like she was expecting an attack.

"I'm surprised that such an intelligent individual with a strong sense of confidence such as yourself would ever be submissive to Megatron for so long," Arcee said.

A flash of rage coursed through Starscream. Then she realized Arcee had completed her, in a twisted way. Pushing aside her anger, she replied, "I thought I loved him for a while. I think I did at first, but he…well, he loved me, but he loved power more. Greed became his wife and I became bitter."

"I think I can understand how that would happen," Arcee admitted. "I've been told that I was extremely angry and bitter after Cliffjumper died." Starscream literally tensed at that name, recalling how she had killed Arcee's fiancé. "But I recovered, and found a new purpose in my role as Jack's guardian. You recovered, too, and created a way to end the war." Arcee smirked. "And did it in a way so that you came out on top."

"Prime is my equal," Starscream reminded her.

"Yes, but he'll be on Earth, very far from Cybertron," Arcee said. She sighed. "I forgive you, by the way, for killing Cliffjumper. You were just fighting for your side. I killed countless Decepticons, but there was nothing personal behind the killing – except Airachnid."

"I don't blame you for killing that one," Starscream said. "Arcee, I wanted to kill every single Autobot after I killed Cliffjumper. I convinced myself the war would only end if I personally murdered each and every Autobot myself. I thought if the war ended and Megatron got his power, he would love me again, but…I realized he was just mad, and nothing would revert him back to the gladiator I had loved. So when I saw the chance to kill him and end the bloodshed, I took it. I'm sorry I didn't come to this conclusion before I killed Cliffjumper, and I'm sorry he died for a cause I was no longer loyal to."

"Apology accepted," Arcee told her. She reached out a hand and grabbed Starscream's forearm. Starscream grabbed the former Autobot's forearm and they shook, an old gesture used by Seekers – who grabbed forearms instead of hands – and she was surprised that Arcee knew the gesture. "I'll follow you Starscream, as loyally as any Seeker would. I think you'd be surprised by how far Dreadwing will follow you."

Starscream realized what she meant and released Arcee's arm, laughing. She hadn't laughed in so long, the sound surprised her, but she was comforted by the warmth that accompanied the laughter and spread throughout her. Arcee laughed with her, which only made Starscream feel all the more gleeful. She was aware of Steve and Charlotte staring at her in amazed surprise, but she didn't mind.

"Dreadwing has no love for me," Starscream wheezed when she had curbed her laughter enough to speak. "He never did, and he most certainly doesn't now that his twin died under my command. He's only so loyal to me because he's a stickler for the old Elite ways." She laughed again. "How amusing that you thought he liked me."

Arcee laughed. "Okay, I suppose I misread him. Besides, Starscream you're like me. You're strong and independent and you don't need a man to come to your rescue. You can save yourself."

"I'm going to enjoy having you around," Starscream said with a smile. "Your counsel will do me some good."

Arcee just smiled. Starscream bid her goodbye and then walked to the end of the bridge so she could look at the night sky. Judgement and Amenity gave her some space, and Starscream searched the stars, locating the ones that would lead her home.

She walked over to the command console and turned on the autopilot. The coordinates for Cybertron were still in the _Nemesis_ 's databases, a final gift from Soundwave. She input the coordinates into the autopilot programming. Now all she would have to do was start the engines and press the icon to activate autopilot. Then the _Nemesis_ would carry her and the Cybertronians under her protection home.

She had said she would leave at dawn, but…

She hit the intercom. "Is there any protest to embarking for Cybertron at this time instead of at dawn?"

The only response she got was loud cheering. She could hear footsteps in the hallways as the ship fell into a party mood, former Vehicons gathering to celebrate the end of the war and the fact they were returning home. Starscream suspected she had just made Dreadwing's job harder, but she didn't feel too bad about it. Her spirits were much too high, and it might do Dreadwing some good to join in on a celebration.

The _Nemesis_ 's engines came to life with thunderous hums, and the ship began to move forward slightly, awaiting input from a pilot or the autopilot programming.

Without hesitation, Starscream hit the autopilot icon.

* * *

"June!" Ratchet, well not exactly stormed, but perhaps maybe clouded, her way into the main area of the hanger. "It's too early for music. Besides, your Nickelback playlist is disgusting."

"Sorry," June apologized, turning off her music. "Not all of the songs are bad, though."

Ratchet didn't respond and Miko squealed, "Ooh, I can play my music!"

"No music," Ratchet snapped.

Miko wasn't fazed by the medic. "Jack, come play a round of video games with me. Loser buys sodas."

"I hope you brought change," Jack called, running over to join her.

Ratchet and June exchanged a few words, probably making it known that there were no hard feelings. June walked over to Fowler, who was going through files to search for Autobots or Decepticons that were scattered across the Earth and may not yet know the war had ended. Ratchet moved to stand beside Optimus at the large entrance to the hanger.

Optimus wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. Both were dressed casually, just jeans and tops that matched their color combinations. Ratchet leaned her head against Optimus's shoulder. Together, both of them looked at the edge of the military base, were the sun was just above the horizon.

Optimus's wounds were healing, thanks to Ratchet's care. The cuts on his arms would soon be scars, and while the gashes on his legs were still stitched, at least he wasn't in pain every time he took a step.

"Arcee is on her way to Cybertron," Optimus said softly. "I wish her and the others a safe journey."

"They left earlier than planned," Ratchet informed him. "Our sensors indicate the _Nemesis_ left Earth's atmosphere shortly after sundown. They must have been in a hurry to return to Cybertron."

"Perhaps I am too optimistic, but I do believe that Starscream will make a fair leader who will see that the civilization of Cybertron is restored free of corruption," Optimus said.

"There is corruption in all of us," Ratchet replied. "Perhaps Starscream exhausted her corruption during the war. But, if I had to be honest and push away irrational doubts, I agree with you. Starscream will be a good leader for the rebuilding of a war-damaged society."

Optimus heard what was unspoken. Starscream would make a great leader for rebuilding, but when Cybertronian society was peaceful, coud she handle leading a society that was at a standstill? Perhaps that would be her downfall.

"Whatever the case, it is not for us to worry about," Optimus concluded. "We are in charge of the Cybertronians on Earth, and I will extend my hospitality to any Cybertronian. We have a strong family foundation now, and I plan to include any Cybertronians who will join us."

"And those who don't?" Ratchet asked.

"If they chose to live out their lives peacefully, we shall leave them be. If they are disruptive, we will deal with them with the force required," Optimus said.

Ratchet nodded. "A fair judgement, my librarian." She stood in silence for a moment, and then she said, "It was rather dumb of you to agree to fight Megatron one on one."

"It worked out in the end."

"Only because I helped you!"

Optimus laughed. "What else is new?" Although he was curious as to how she was able to hold the Star Saber without being harmed.

Optimus turned around, pulling Ratchet with him. A strange assortment of vehicles – Optimus's and Ultra Magnus's semis, Ratchet's ambulance, Bulkhead's all-terrain vehicle, and a very wide assortment of cars – were to their right. June and Fowler had parked their cars next to the others; Fowler had managed to stray outside of his lines, while June was parked perfectly.

Smokescreen, Raf, and Sideswipe were washing Smokescreen's car, though most of the soap and water was on the boys instead of the vehicle. Knock Out was sitting on one of the couches, forced to rest by Ultra Magnus even though she was at least eight months away from her due date. She was holding Bumblebee and reading a fashion magazine that appeared to be written in French.

After Ratchet and Optimus had both returned from the duel with Megatron and their discussion with Starscream, they had informed Ultra Magnus and Knock Out of their new ranks as the Prime Guard and the Prime Lady Guard. Then they had told them that they were the godparents of Bumblebee, a role both of them were taking very seriously.

Ultra Magnus, Wheeljack, and Bulkhead were moving all items unnecessary for current living into the main area and placing them in cardboard boxes before duct taping the boxes closed and then labelling them with a sharpie. Wheeljack had misspelled 'weapons' so a box full of extra knives read 'wepans.' It was moments like this that made Optimus wonder if Wheeljack's strange sense of humor was actually initial humor or just humorous accidents.

Jack and Miko continued playing their game, exchanging good-natured trash-talk. June was shifting through a stack of large papers, pointing out areas to Fowler on a map spread out on the table. Fowler was only half-way paying attention to June, as he was on the phone with General Bryce.

"It's a rather large and messy family, Optimus," Ratchet commented. Optimus could feel her humor as she added, "Are you sure there's room for more Cybertronians? Or even humans?"

Optimus grinned. "The more, the merrier." He gave her a kiss, pulling her closer.

When the kiss had ended, Ratchet sighed. "Everything would have been much more simple if we had met like this."

"What do you mean?" Optimus inquired, unable to guess her thoughts as her emotions were too jumbled.

"If only you had been a Prime and I had just been Ratchet," she responded. "No one would dare tell a Prime who they could or could not be with, but a young Liaison could be controlled by the Council. There would have been little to no political upset if we had met as Prime and nobody."

Optimus pressed his forehead against Ratchet's. "You forget one thing, sweetspark. You could never have been a nobody, for you are truly extraordinary." Ratchet smiled, even as Optimus leaned in for another kiss.

They broke apart when someone cleared their throat loudly. Ratchet frowned, clearly annoyed. Optimus turned to who had interrupted them.

"Agent Fowler, what appears to be the problem?" Optimus questioned. Ratchet stayed at his side, seemingly calm, though he could tell she was just as anxious about Fowler's response as he was.

"No problem this time, Prime," Fowler informed them with a smile. "Are you ready to live somewhere that isn't a desert? I've just been informed I can relocate you guys to a place owned by a civilian – a civilian who happens to already be offering hospitality to Autobot-sympathizing Cybertronians."

"Other Cybertronians," Ratchet murmured, awed.

"Where would you be relocating us to?" Optimus asked Fowler.

"Just outside the coastal town Crown City, in a large scrapyard called Vintage Salvage Depot for the Discriminating Nostalgist owned by a rather eccentric man named Denny Clay," Fowler said.

"A scrapyard?" Ratchet frowned. "Are you saying we're no better than scrap? Have you no need for us now that the Decepticons have left?"

"The scrapyard is more than just a scrapyard," Fowler assured her hurriedly. "Besides, it marks the crash site of the _Alchemor_ , which is where a few of the Cybertronians staying with Denny came from."

"The _Alchemor_? The ship suffered a prison break and all the wardens were killed. The Decepticons imprisoned inside escaped galaxies away from Earth," Optimus mused, thinking aloud. "How did it crash on Earth, and hold Autobot sympathizing survivors?"

"People have survived crazier things," Ratchet reminded him. "Besides, I've learned to accept that some things cannot be explained. Perhaps we should just count this as a blessing and move on."

"Yes, Ratchet's right," Fowler said, pointing at her. "I'm offering you a stable home that isn't a military base, a home that might contain some old friends."

Ratchet and Optimus exchanged looks. Old friends…so many friends had been lost that the thought of finding them again was nearly overwhelming. But Optimus realized something else – this was the chance for his vision from Alpha Trion to come true, a chance for Ratchet and he to grow old and Bumblebee to grow into a young man.

Optimus nodded. "We'll move to this scrapyard outside Crown City. Please inform Denny Clay that we will be coming."

Whatever Fowler was going to say was cut off as Knock Out yelled, "Ratchet, come quick!"

Ratchet rushed over to the redhead. Knock Out was standing now, looking at Ratchet with an urgent expression. Ultra Magnus was immediately at her side, pelting her with questions about her health. Optimus followed Ratchet and he skidded to a stop next to her. Bumblebee was still in Knock Out's arms and he beamed up at his parents, blue eyes alight with joy.

"Magnus, I'm fine," Knock Out insisted. "And don't you dare touch this top with your dirty hands." Ultra Magnus hesitated, hands hovering over Knock Out's shoulders. He slowly lowered them and tucked them into his jean pockets to avoid accidentally touching her top.

"Knock Out, what is it?" Ratchet asked.

Knock Out looked down at Bumblebee. "Could you do it again, to show your mother?"

Bumblebee turned his gaze to Ratchet and laughed. Ratchet gasped, hands coming up to cover her mouth. Before Optimus could ask her what has happened, the baby turned toward him.

 _Daddy._ A new mental voice, one Optimus had never heard before. A mental voice filled with youth and innocence. _Mama. Parents, protectors. Love. Family._

Ratchet was blinking back tears. "He can communicate with us."

Optimus gently took his son from Knock Out, joy coursing through him. He knew that no Cybertronian should be able to telepathically communicate at such a young age, but perhaps the fact that he had damaged vocal cords meant that Bumblebee developed other ways of communicating faster. The scars on his throat might make him mute, but they didn't silence his voice.

"That's right, Bee," Optimus said, smiling down at his son. Ratchet was at his side and she held out a hand to Bumblebee, smiling when he wrapped his fingers around her pointer finger. "We are your parents, your family, and we'll love you endlessly. Never forget that."

Bumblebee replied back in a burst of images. Optimus somehow knew that Ratchet received the same message, and that this had been the message Bumblebee had first shown Knock Out.

Bumblebee's images were of his parents, and Knock Out and Ultra Magnus. An image of Wheeljack grinning as she held a grenade, while Bulkhead looked like he was ducking and covering. June, Fowler, Jack, and Miko all working or playing; Raf talking with Ratchet or working on his laptop. Smokescreen and Sideswipe laughing. Even images of Arcee. Bumblebee's memories of his family.

All the while, Bumblebee's little voice repeated one word again and again.

 _Family. Family. Family._

* * *

 **Just about ready to wrap this story up. But I'm not done with this AU. I've kinda grown attached to it, but this particular story is coming to an end.**

 **Stay tuned! :)**


	27. Chapter 27

Jack walked around a pile of antique microwaves, careful not to actually touch them. Denny would have a stroke if any of the thirty devices were so much as smudged. Two years had passed since the end of the war and the members of Team Prime had been moved to Crown City. They had indeed found old friends, and the humans that had migrated with the Cybertronians found new friends in Denny and Russell Clay.

Jack Darby himself was now eighteen and technically an agent in Fowler's top secret C.I.E.T (Cybertronian Introduction to Earth Taskforce), a unit that located Cybertronians living on Earth and told them that the war was over and that Cybertronians living on Earth answered to Optimus Prime.

Fowler and Optimus were the co-commanders of the unit, and June, Denny, and Jack made ups the rest of the official human team. Miko, Raf, and Russell were the unofficial human members, though each would be made official when they turned eighteen. Everyone adult Cybertronian were official member of the unit, and this now included Smokescreen.

Miko spent her summers in Japan, but lived with Jack and June during the school year, June acting as her host parent. She was going to work for U.S. citizenship once she turned eighteen. Raf's father had suddenly been offered a large sum of money should he take a job in Crown City, which he had agreed to. The entire Esquivel family had moved to Crown City, and Fowler and Ratchet had both denied having anything to do with the generous offer given to Mr. Esquivel.

A blond, laughing toddler ran past Jack, jerking him out of his thoughts. It still amazed him that Bumblebee was able to laugh and squeal, despite the damage to his vocal cords. He was only incapable of forming comprehensive words.

Bumblebee squealed with glee as Ratchet appeared around a pile of clown dolls – the very same clown dolls Jack had wanted to burn when they originally moved to the scrapyard – and swept him up in her arms. The two-year-old must have said something via telepathy, because Ratchet laughed.

In the two years since the end of the war, a new Ratchet had emerged. She wasn't necessarily kinder – not that Ratchet had ever been mean – and she still definitely had a temper, but she was more relaxed. She laughed more, she joked more, and she did more things just for the fun of it. Her strawberry blonde hair had grown out so that it reached just past her shoulder blades, thought it never did get its waves back.

Optimus, too, had become less serious and expressed a more humorous side. But Jack could still see the tension in their shoulders when an unidentified individual was around. They always relaxed once they recognized who it was, but the idea of having to fight their way out had been heavily engrained into them now.

"Come on, Bee. We've got to get ready for our beach trip," Ratchet said. She straightened her glasses and evidently just noticed Jack. "Hello, Jack. I suppose you're coming, too? June's packing sandwiches, so you don't have to worry about eating whatever crazy concoction that was Wheeljack packed on our last trip."

Jack wasn't sure whether to laugh or gag, recalling the time Wheeljack had packed lunches for their hike. "Yeah, I'm coming." He fell in beside Ratchet and walked toward the front of the scrapyard with her. Bumblebee grinned down at him from his perch at Ratchet's hip.

Ratchet answered a question Bumblebee must have asked telepathically. "We'll take June's car, Knock Out's car, Fowler's car, Denny's truck, and Bulkhead's vehicle, since we need a spot to store Fixit's wheelchair. We're not taking your father's semi, or Ultra Magnus's." She paused. "No, we're not taking my ambulance or Windblade's jet, either."

They rounded a pallet of crates of new shipments that Denny had just received. As far as Jack could tell, more stuff came to the Vintage Salvage Depot for the Discriminating Nostalgist than left. Parked in front of the main office, which also served as a living space, were the vehicles that Ratchet had described earlier.

June was lugging a cooler into the trunk of her car. Miko, Raf, and Grimlock were standing there, no doubt going to ride with her. Grimlock was a tall man that looked like he could tear you limb from limb with his bare hands, though he was much too kind to do so. His skin was dark, and he had dreadlocks that came down past his shoulders, but he was always smiling. Grimlock was unique in the sense that he was a Dinobot, meaning he was a Cybertronian who could take the form of prehistoric animals. While on Earth, his chosen form was a green T-Rex.

Miko waved at Jack. "Hey, ride with us! We'll take the back seat –" – she gestured at Jack, Raf, and herself – "– and Grimlock can ride shotgun."

"Shotgun? I don't want a shotgun, and I definitely don't want to ride one," Grimlock protested.

"It's an expression, Grimlock," June explained. "It means you get the passenger seat."

"Ooh, yes, I want the passenger seat. More leg room!"

Knock Out was standing next to her flashy red Aston Martin, attempting to put sunscreen on Sideswipe's face.

"Mom, no!" he cried.

"Hold still, or it's going to get into your eye," Knock Out snapped. "Then your eyes will burn and I'll have to deal with your complaining."

"No burning!" Sideswipe ran away, to the other side of the car.

"Sideswipe, so help me…I'm trying to stop you from ruining your complexion by getting a sunburn!" Knock Out turned to her husband. "You could help me."

"I'm holding our child," Ultra Magnus replied, clearly using that as an excuse.

Strongarm was about a year old, with large blue eyes and golden blonde hair. Jack wondered if that came from Ultra Magnus's genepool, since his hair was dirty blonde. Her personality was still young and therefore hard to pinpoint, but Jack was betting that she would be very similar to Ultra Magnus in attitude, since Sideswipe's personality matched Knock Out's. Then again, Sideswipe had a completely different genepool on his father's side, so who knew.

The final person riding with Knock Out was Windblade, and Sideswipe had practically ran into her when he dashed around the Aston Martin. Windblade was a tall and slender woman with beautiful Asian features and shoulder-length black hair. Her make-up was bright and spot-on, and she had on a golden crown, identifying her as a Camien-Cybertronian, most likely the last one.

Camiens were similar to Seekers and had wings like Seekers, only Camiens could fold their wings enough to completely hide them under their clothes. Windblade's red, white, and black wings were currently tucked under her red blouse.

Windblade touched Sideswipe's shoulder. "Slick, maybe you should do as your mother says and put on some sunscreen."

It was no secret that Sideswipe was head-over-heels in love with Windblade. He seemed not to notice the obvious age gap between them. Whatever the case, he would never do anything that would displease Windblade.

"Fine, Windy. I'll let her put the sunscreen on," Sideswipe relented. He moped his way back to Knock Out, who looked like she was miffed that Windblade could get Sideswipe to mind.

Optimus and Fowler were standing next to Fowler's car, and Optimus waved at Ratchet. "We're riding with Fowler," Ratchet said to Jack. "Maybe I can convince Fowler to give Optimus the keys."

She and Bumblebee joined Optimus, leaving Fowler looking rather out of place. Russell joined him.

"Dad doesn't have enough room in his truck, so I'm riding with you," he informed Fowler.

"Rusty, could you do me a favor and take Fowler's keys out of the cup holder in the car and give them to Optimus?" Ratchet asked sweetly, moving to block Fowler from intervening.

Fowler may have had Army Ranger training, but there was no way he was going to attack a woman and a toddler over some keys, especially when said woman and toddler were Ratchet and Bumblebee. He simply huffed and crossed his arms as Russell passed the car keys to Optimus. Ratchet just flashed a smile that may have supposed to have been apologetic, but really just expressed her triumph.

Bulkhead was loading Fixit into the back seat of his vehicle. Fixit was a Mini-Con, so he would pass as a short human, though Fixit was a different type of Mini-Con because he had a human form instead of an animal form. Fixit had brown hair with an orange tint, circular glasses, and blue eyes that were a little too large for his face. A head injury had left him with a speech impediment and memory loss, but he was still an engineering genius. The fact that he was in a wheelchair was due to reasons other than the crashing of the _Alchemor_ , or so Jack had been told, though he was confused as to why a wheelchair bound individual would be selected as a warden for a prison ship.

"Hanks – banks – _thanks_ , Bulkhead," Fixit said.

"No problem," Bulkhead replied.

Wheeljack slung Fixit's wheelchair into the back. Smokescreen was standing next to her, rounding out the group riding in Bulkhead's vehicle.

"Maybe there'll be some cute girls down at the beach," he said.

"Smokescreen!" Wheeljack snapped.

"Sorry. Besides, aren't we supposed to be using human code names?" Smokescreen asked. "I'm Seth, you're Wilma-Jaclyn, and Dad is Bruce."

Gone were the days where the Cybertronians took animal forms to keep their human friends company. Thanks to Fowler, they all had backgrounds and names and appeared as if they had spent their entire lives on Earth…and not some alien planet known as Cybertron. While they still used their Cybertronian names amongst themselves, they tried to use their codenames when out in public.

Fixit had heard Smokescreen and he grinned cheerily. "I'm Felix!" he chirped.

"Fixit Felix. How fitting," Smokescreen laughed. "Ow!" He stared at his mother, who had just whacked him on the back of the head. "I thought you couldn't do that now that I'm an adult," he whined.

"You're still my son, which means you still get punished when you say stupid things," Wheeljack told him. "You're sitting in the back with Fixit."

The final vehicle was Denny's old blue pickup. Denny was standing at the tailgate, talking to a bored looking Drift. Drift was a tall man with Asian features and a neatly trimmed mustache. His black hair was tied up in a bun like ninjas had in action movies. This was the first time Jack had seen Drift without his samurai swords.

Drift's two Mini-Cons were sitting in the bed of Denny's truck, looking at their master with intelligent blue eyes. From what Jack had learned, all Mini-Cons were equally intelligent, but animal-former Mini-Cons typically picked a single humanoid Cybertron as their teachers (or perhaps masters), while humanoid Mini-Cons like Fixit were strongly independent. Drift's Mini-Cons, named Slipstream and Jetstorm, were both wolves. One was black with red-orange markings, and the other had a reverse coloring, but Jack could never remember which was which.

"Perhaps you should save this story for Ultra Magnus," Drift intoned, when Denny finally paused to breathe between words. "I am sure he would find more interest in it than I would."

Jack wasn't so sure of that, but he was distracted as he was cued by Miko via a rather enthusiastic wave. Grinning, he trotted over, hoping that Drift had the ability to put up with Denny's chattering all the way to the beach. Luckily, it was just a short drive through Crown City.

"Hurry up, or you'll end up in the middle seat," Miko said as Jack rushed over. She began clambering into the car, taking the middle seat herself. "What were you looking at, anyway?"

"The strangest and messiest family in the entire universe," Jack answered as he got in the car and closed the door.

Up in the front, June laughed. "It is definitely the strangest family I've ever seen."

"It's the only family containing multiple species in it, I bet," Raf grinned.

Miko cackled. "It's the only family that has aliens in it!"

Miko's laugh must have been contagious, because Grimlock started laughing, too. Perhaps he just thought there was a joke he had missed, but after Grimlock starting laughing, Jack couldn't help but join in. Raf and June soon followed.

It may have been the strangest family on Earth, or maybe in the Milky Way, or maybe even in the universe, but it was a kind and loving family, and Jack was more than pleased to be a part of it.

* * *

Starscream shoved her way through the crowd gathered on the bridge of the _Nemesis_. In the countless cycles they had travelled toward Cybertron, Starscream had worked hard to make it clear that while she was Queen and made the final decisions, she shouldn't be given extra privileges. That was working against her now, as the crowd didn't feel exactly obligated to get out of her way, leaving her to push through a maze of arms, legs, and wings.

She finally made it to the front, where her lieutenants were standing. Steve and Dreadwing were holding back the crowd, though both kept glancing at the viewing ports. Charlotte, belly large with her and Steve's unborn child, was standing behind Steve, the ruby circlet glittering in her dark hair. Arcee was the closest to the end of the bridge, looking out the viewing ports.

Starscream looked around and spotted Judgement and Amenity. The older Cybertronians were not her lieutenants, but Starscream trusted their wisdom and their ability to remain calm in any crisis.

"Starscream, why is everyone upset, since we're almost home?" Stephen asked, surprising Starscream. She wasn't even sure how the boy had pushed his way to the front of the crowd, and she was startled by his describing Cybertron as home, considering the four-year-old had been born far away from Cybertron. Stephen pointed at the large viewing port directly in front of the end of the bridge. "I can see Cybertron."

And indeed he could. Outside the viewing ports, Cybertron was taking up nearly all of the view. Its Energon wells were glowing again, indicating the planet was once again producing Energon. The planet could house civilization again, but they would have to work hard to repair all the ruins of the cities to make them cities again.

"Everything is under control, Stephen," Starscream assured him. "Everyone is so anxious because they want to be on their home world again."

She gestured for Judgement to come stand by Stephen and watch him, and then got Amenity to take Dreadwing's place. Dreadwing followed her to the end of the bridge.

As they passed Arcee, she said, "They're not attacking. They just seem curious."

Both Arcee and Dreadwing stood just behind Starscream as she looked to the left and right, spotting the creatures that were flying alongside the _Nemesis_ , keeping pace.

To the left was a four-legged dragon with piercing yellow eyes. His chest and wing membranes were light blue, as were his neck and tail, though his underside was white. His legs and torso were dark blue, and the horns protruding from his back were red. His upper jaw had a total of ten teeth, the fifth tooth on each side being larger than the others and protruding over his lower jaw, and no teeth on lower jaw.

To the right was an ursagryph with a mouthful of small teeth. His scales were mostly dark blue, but he had some gray scattered here and there. The crest of his head and his snout were yellow, contrasting with his orange eyes.

"Predacons," Starscream squeaked.

"That can't be possible," Dreadwing protested. His conviction was weak, however, as he was literally looking at what he had deemed impossible.

"If these Predacons have been living on Cybertron, that means the planet can support life again," Arcee said, sounding excited and hopeful.

Starscream recalled what Optimus had told, that three beasts would reveal when Cybertron was ready – ready to house a society again. But there were only two Predacons here, and Starscream needed there.

A shape moved up in front of the viewing port directly in front of Starscream. Gasps went up from the many Cybertronians gathered, including Arcee and Dreadwing. Starscream just stared at the third Predacon, the one that completed the good omen from Alpha Trion.

This Predacon was the largest, with thick muscles under copper and gold scales. His claws and fangs were flashy silver, and the golden horns on the top of his head made Starscream think of a crown. His wings were like large bat wings, and Starscream imaged she could hear them every time they flapped. This Predacon wasn't flying alongside the _Nemesis_ , but instead hovering in front of it, looking in at Starscream with golden-yellow eyes. He opened his mouth and flames flickered along his back teeth.

"So this is what Prime meant," Starscream breathed.

Starscream turned to face the others, aware she was grinning like crazy. They were silent now, watching her.

"Let us go home!" Starscream called, like the Predacons were no threat. And truly, at the moment, she did not think they were.

The cheering was deafening, and Starscream turned back to look at the kingly Predacon before the warship.

The Predacons all turned as one and glided back down to Cybertron's surface. Starscream would have to deal with them eventually, discover just how many Predacons there were and form a peaceful society alongside the beasts. But for now, she wasn't going to worry about it.

She was home. And her home was capable of sustaining life again. She had strong and loyal followers – and friends – and all of them were optimistic for the future. They would rebuild Cybertron better than it had been before under Starscream's guidance.

Starscream would return Cybertron to its prime, like it had been when it was ruled by the Primes.

* * *

 **And so ends "More than a Team." I had the best time writing this!**

 **Next week-ish, I'll be posting another story set in this AU titled "Team's Redemption." It'll be a sequel to this story and will follow an older Bumblebee in a more Team Bee style group, like in RiD 2015. The story will also include many family interations and show the complex relations between the team/family members.**

 **Thanks to all the readers, and thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I hope you return for more. :)**


	28. Bonus Chapter: Where's the Honey?

**Where's the Honey?**

 **So, this is a ridiculous plot bunny that would not leave me alone, and since it's still in this AU, I decided attach it to this story as a bonus chapter. Enjoy!**

Eighteen year old Jackson "Jack" Darby entered the scrapyard from the building where all the humans slept. His girlfriend, seventeen year old Miko, was by his side.

June, Fowler, and Denny were standing by the gate, ready to leave for tonight's outing. Nearby, Windblade and Drift were talking. Drift's Mini-Con wolves, Slipstream and Jetstorm, were sitting obediently on either side of their master. Wheeljack and Bulkhead walked over to converse with them, waving at their young adult son, Smokescreen, as he disappeared back among the aisles of "treasure." He would not be joining the dinner party.

Knock Out and Ultra Magnus were standing off by themselves, talking to the ten year old Sideswipe (Knock Out's son and Ultra Magnus's stepson). The redhead, decked out in her finest red dress and silver jewelry, was holding her and Ultra Magnus's one year old daughter, Strongarm. Closest to Jack and Miko were Optimus Prime and Ratchet, both dressed in their nicest outfits. Ratchet was in the process of telling their two year old son, Bumblebee, goodbye. Raf, now aging at fourteen, was standing beside the family (he still had a strange mental connection with Ratchet, and it had been passed to Bumblebee as well).

Jack and Miko walked over to the Prime and Prime Lady. Knock Out and Ultra Magnus, the Prime Lady Guard and Prime Guard respectively, walked over as well, Sideswipe following.

"Thank you for agreeing to watch the children tonight," Optimus said to Jack, Miko, and Raf.

"It's no problem," Raf said, ruffling Bumblebee's blond hair as the toddler stood beside him and wrapped an arm around the hacker's leg. "Is your reservation set?"

"For Mr. and Mrs. Prime and company," Ratchet said.

"Why can't I go?" Sideswipe pouted.

"Because you're not an adult," Knock Out chided. She handed Strongarm to Miko, and the Japanese girl made goofy faces at the blonde child in her arms.

"But I'm not a child and Optimus said the children had to stay behind," Sideswipe protested, gesticulating wildly with his hands in a manner picked up from his mother.

"Are you arguing with your mother?" Ultra Magnus demanded.

Sideswipe huffed, he knew better than to argue with his stepfather. Perhaps taking pity on the kid, Ultra Magnus ruffled his red hair.

"I'll bring you back some dessert," he promised.

"Magnus!" Knock Out snapped, putting her hands on her hips and giving Ultra Magnus a look. Her husband simply shrugged his broad shoulders as Sideswipe did a happy dance, the unfairness of being left behind forgotten due to the prospect of a decent dessert.

Jack chuckled and then turned to Optimus. "And you all remember your human code names?"

"Oliver and Rachel Prime," Optimus replied, gesturing to Ratchet and himself.

"Magnus Ulyanov," Ultra Magnus said.

"Kesey Ottoman-Ulyanov," Knock Out answered.

Ratchet gestured to the Cybertronians currently out of hearing range of Jack's question. "Bulkhead and Wheeljack are Bruce and Wilma-Jaclyn Wilhelm, Drift is David Ping, and Windblade is Wendy Blane." Voice darkening, she added, "Fowler is terrible at assigning names."

Jack nodded. "You're good to go." He looked around, but couldn't spot the fourth child he was supposed to be watching tonight. "Where's Rusty?"

"Denny said Russell was in the trailer behind the scrapyard headquarters," Optimus told him. "Again, thank you."

"We really should be going if we want to be on time," Ultra Magnus warned, "especially if the traffic is bad in Crown City."

Knock Out and Ultra Magnus started toward the gate, glancing at their children one last time. Optimus started after them. Ratchet paused, said, "Take care of my son," and then followed the others. They gathered up in several cars as the gate opened and then pulled out, the gate closing behind them.

Jack knew that Optimus and Ratchet were very protective of their son. An injury inflicted upon Ratchet during her pregnancy had rendered Bumblebee mute and Ratchet unable to bare any more children. Due to these factors, everyone knew to pity the poor soul who even endangered their son…especially when Ratchet's temper got the best of her.

Jack ran through a mental list of who was still in the scrapyard as the majority of its inhabitants had left for the night out. Smokescreen was somewhere in the back, Rusty was out in the camper trailer, Fixit and Grimlock were in the _Alchemor_ , and Miko, Raf, and himself were with Sideswipe, Bumblebee, and Strongarm.

An engine revved, the gate opened, and Smokescreen peeled out of the scrapyard in his car. The gate closed behind him, and the sound the car's engine soon faded.

"Well, one less person to worry about," Miko muttered.

"Smokescreen wasn't under our supervision anyway," Jack reminded her. "Let's gather up those that are."

"Rusty's already in the trailer," Raf said. "Why don't we go there?"

Miko carried Strongarm and Raf walked along with Bumblebee tottering happily at his side. Jack made sure that Sideswipe was following them before bringing up the rear. He smiled when Bumblebee stumbled and then grabbed Raf's hand for the remainder of the walk to the trailer.

Upon entering the trailer, Sideswipe plopped down on the couch next to Rusty. Miko set down on the other side of Rusty, setting Strongarm down in her lap. Raf and Bumblebee claimed the plushy chair, leaving Jack the option of the rickety, wooden chair or the shag carpet floor.

"What are you watching?" he asked Rusty as he settled on the floor.

"A documentary on cuttlefish," the boy replied. Jack decided that was safe for the audience at hand and didn't make a grab for the remote lying next to Rusty on the couch.

"I'm hungry," Sideswipe whined.

"Dad made sandwiches," Rusty said. "They're on the coffee table under that blue dish towel."

Jack made a mental note to thank Denny later. He hadn't even considered what to make for dinner. Usually, Denny, June, Fixit or Ultra Magnus cooked (or Optimus and Ratchet on rare occasions) and Jack wouldn't have had any idea of what to do.

After everyone had eaten the sandwiches, Raf said, "Bee wants to play a game. Is it light enough outside for that?"

"I believe so," Jack replied, glancing at the grimy window in the door of the trailer. "What does Bumblebee want to play?"

Bumblebee told Raf telepathically – and it was still a major mystery as to why he was the only human who could receive and send Cybertronian brain communications – and Raf relayed, "Hide-and-seek."

"Who wants to play hide-and-seek?" Jack asked the occupants of the trailer.

"Count me out," Rusty said. "There's a program coming up about the animal kingdom's worst killers."

"If the show writers knew anything, Megatron would be on that list," Miko muttered. "Alas, most humans will never realize an alien species lives among them." She turned to Jack. "I do enjoy a game, especially one that involves seeking, but I'll stay here with Rusty and Strongarm."

"And Sideswipe. I am so not playing hide-and-seek. That game is so dull," Sideswipe said, rolling his blue eyes.

Jack grinned. Sideswipe was undeniably Knock Out's son…he had yet to exhibit any of his late father's traits. Of course, Jack hadn't known Breakdown very well, so it was possible that Sideswipe's less Knock Out-like traits mirrored Breakdown's.

"Looks like it's just Raf, you, and me," Jack said to Bumblebee. "Let's go outside. When it gets dark, and if you still want to play, we'll ask Fixit to turn on the lights."

The mute boy grinned, his eyes lighting up with pure joy. Raf and Bumblebee started towards the door, Bumblebee gesturing so wildly that Jack was sure that Raf was being bombarded by telepathic chatter. Jack got off the floor and followed them.

Once outside, the eldest boy said, "You two hide and I'll find you."

Jack covered his eyes with his hands – after promising Bumblebee he wouldn't peek through his fingers – and counted to fifteen, while Raf and Bumblebee hid. Raf was the absolute worst at hide-and-seek , and Jack found him on the other side of the trailer in less than four seconds. Then it was simply a matter of finding a mute, blond toddler.

"Any idea where he'd go?" Jack asked.

"He likes to play around Optimus's semi a lot," Raf offered. "Or Ratchet's ambulance."

"Both of those vehicles are still here," Jack said. "They didn't quite fit for a night out on the town."

The two boys walked toward the back of the scrapyard, where the vehicles that weren't part of the scrapyard set. Left behind at the moment were Windblade's jet, Optimus's and Ultra Magnus's respective semis, Fowler's car, Ratchet's ambulance, and Denny's old, blue pickup. Jack crouched down, looking for feet beneath the vehicles. Spotting none, he straightened back up.

"He could have climbed into one of the vehicles. They always keep them unlocked," he said.

Raf pushed his glasses up his nose. "Most of these vehicles are too tall for Bee to climb into. He could get into Fowler's car, or maybe Denny's truck. It's pretty low."

Jack checked Denny's truck and Raf checked Fowler's car, but there was no sign of Bumblebee. Jack turned back to Raf.

"Can't you just telepathically track him?"

Raf shook his head. "I'd be able to tell if he was hurt or scared, but I can't just locate him. And he's not responding to me, either."

Jack sighed, and then yelled, "Bumblebee, come out! The game's over and you win!"

They waited and Jack turned to Raf, but he shook his head. "He's still silent."

Jack was starting to get worried. The scrapyard was full of dangerous things from discarded junk and Fixit's security system, most of which the engineer had forgotten he had installed. It was dangerous enough for the adults and older kids; it was even more so for a toddler. The eighteen year old forced himself to think.

"Fixit can track all Cybertronians, right?" he asked.

"Due to their specific CNA signatures, yeah," Raf replied. "Ratchet and I helped him update his database with all the Cybertronians currently on this planet."

"Let's go ask him to track down Bumblebee," Jack decided.

Jack and Raf jogged to the very back of the scrapyard, where customers were never allowed. A grounded Cybertronian ship, the _Alchemor_ , was stationed in this area, and housed all the alien-sensitive materials.

"Hello!" Grimlock greeted loudly as Jack and Raf entered the ship.

Raf and Jack waved in greeting. Grimlock was a large man with dark chocolate skin and blue eyes. His black hair was in dreadlocks, with onyx beads placed throughout. He was a special type of Cybertronian called a Dinobot, which meant he transformed into the native prehistoric species of a planet Grimlock took the form of a green Tyrannosaurus-rex, which was a direct contrast to his sweet personality.

Fixit appeared, grinning. His blue eyes were a little too large for his face, made only larger by his round glasses, and his russet-colored hair was often disheveled. As a Mini-Con, he only had the genetic ability to transform into one shape per planet. Most Mini-Cons were animal-formers, but Fixit was a short man confined to an orange wheelchair with large, black wheels. A head injury during the crash of the _Alchemor_ had left him with some faults, but his mind was still sharp (other injuries during the crash might have been responsible for him being in a wheelchair, but Jack had never learned the true cause of his needing a wheelchair).

"Hello, Jack and Rafael," he said cheerily. "How may I help you bay – away – _today_?"

"We were playing hide-and-seek and Bumblebee is really good at hiding," Jack explained.

"He's still hiding?" Grimlock asked. His eyebrows pinched in confusion.

Jack scratched the back of his head. "Well…yeah."

"You lost him, didn't you?" Fixit asked.

"Well…not really," Jack said. "I mean, you could track him and then he wouldn't be lost."

"The scanners don't work in close proximity," Fixit said, shaking his head. "I could tell you if he's still in the scrapyard, but not where exactly in the scrapyard."

"That's better than nothing," Jack said. He was a bit disappointed that Fixit couldn't be more helpful, but under normal circumstances, it wasn't necessary to track Cybertronians within the scrapyard.

"Wait. You two lost Bumblebee?" Grimlock asked, his voice a little higher than normal.

"Seems that way," Raf muttered.

Grimlock threw his hands onto the sides of his head in alarm. "Optimus and Ratchet are going to kill us! You lost their son!"

"We were playing hide-and-seek. He's hiding, not lost!" Raf snapped. Jack raised an eyebrow at his younger friend; it was rare Raf got annoyed and snapped. "Optimus and Ratchet aren't going to be killing anyone."

Grimlock lowered his arms back to his sides. "Oh, okay. Good," he breathed in relief.

"Right this way," Fixit said, turning his wheelchair and rolling deeper into the _Alchemor_.

It didn't take long for Fixit to upload the scanner reports. Jack noticed that Optimus, Ratchet, Knock Out, Ultra Magnus, Windblade, Drift, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack were still in Crown City. Smokescreen – and Drift's Mini-Con wolves, Jetstorm and Slipstream, whom he must have "borrowed" – were out in the rural streets around Crown City where racing was popular. Sideswipe, Strongarm, and, more importantly, Bumblebee were still in the scrapyard.

"He's still here," Jack said.

"I'll set the security system to stop anyone from exiting the scrapyard," Fixity said. "The system will be set on the lowest setting to simply stop him from leaving without, well, killing him."

As Fixit began typing, Raf said, "Bee likes to transform into a bumblebee. Can you stop him from flying out of the scrapyard?"

"Easily," Fixit replied. "I'll just put up the invisible force field Chet – bet – _net_ – with holes too small for Bumblebee to fly through, in any form. The force field net shouldn't hurt him much, if it harms it all."

This, coming from the man who had forgotten his own wheelchair was a weapon of mass destruction, was not exactly reassuring. Jack changed the subject by asking, "Fixit, can you turn on the yard lights? The sun is getting pretty low."

"Grimlock, pull the red lever by you, please," Fixit said. Grimlock did so (only afer Raf pointed out which lever to clarify for the confused man) and Fixity finished typing in commands. "There's everything you requested."

"Thank you, Fixit," Jack told him. He started shooing Raf out of the room.

"Good luck finding he – she – _Bumblebee_ ," Fixit said with a wave and smile.

"If Ratchet or Optimus ask, uh, I wasn't the one who lost Bumblebee," Grimlock called.

"He's not lost!" Jack cried in exasperation as he and Raf made their exit. Once outside the _Alchemor_ , Jack ran a hand down his face. "Oh, he's so lost."

"He's still not responding to telepathic communications," Raf said, straightening his glasses.

"Okay, if Bumblebee were to get hurt or something, who does he have enough connection to for them to know?" Jack asked. He knew that closely bonded Cybertronians could feel the each other's pain in times of trouble.

"Ratchet, Optimus, and I," Raf replied. Which made sense to Jack. That was Bumblebee's mother, father, and "brother" (he had adopted Raf as an older brother, much as Ratchet and Optimus had adopted Raf as a second son).

It was time for some reinforcements. Jack whipped out his cell and dialed a number locked deep in his memory. Miko answered on the second ring.

"Hey, Jack," she said.

"Where are you?" Jack asked. He started back toward the front of the scrapyard, where the trailer and the main building where.

"The main building," Miko responded. "I left Sideswipe in charge of Strongarm and Rusty while I went to look for some sodas."

"Just stay there," Jack told her. "We've got to discuss something."

"I'll take Rusty and Sideswipe their sodas and meet you outside the main building," Miko said. "See you in a bit."

She hung up and Jack explained his plan to Raf. Then he dialed another number into his phone. "Hey, Mom, how's it going?'

"What happened?" June Darby asked. "I know you didn't interrupt my night out for small talk."

"Actually, I was calling to make sure that you guys hadn't done anything wrong," Jack said. In truth, he had been calling to tell his mom to make sure everyone stayed out as late as possible, but now he realized he couldn't do that.

"Well, Knock Out may have gotten some paparazzi after her, but I don't think it bothered her ego much," June replied. "Wheeljack almost caused an issue when she used the word 'bomb' in a public square, but luckily the policeman was very understanding after Fowler told him that Wilma-Jaclyn was a former bomb technician in the Air Force. And Ratchet threatened to stab a waiter with a fork when he dropped a bowl of cheese dip in her lap. Other than that, it's been uneventful."

"You know what, just call me when someone ends up in jail," Jack told her. "You can handle the rest."

"Will do," June said. "Don't call me unless you blow someone up."

"So, how's the night out going?" Raf asked Jack.

"As well as could be expected with that crew," Jack said. "There's Miko." His girlfriend was standing outside, one hand on her hip and the other holding a can of grape soda. She grinned and waved at them, and then frowned as they got closer.

"Where's Bumblebee?" she asked.

"We're trying to find him," Jack told her. "He's rather good at hide-and-seek. Can you think of anything that would bring him out of hiding?"

"How about a favorite treat of his, something that Ratchet and Optimus wouldn't usually let him have because of the negative healthy benefits," Miko suggested.

"Honey," Raf said immediately. "Bee is totally addicted to it, but Ratchet is adamant that the negative effects of the honey outweigh the positive ones."

"Sugar outweighs lessening possible allergies," Miko mused. "I don't think Bumblebee has any allergies, so Ratchet is probably right." She drained the last of her soda and then tossed the can into a recycling bin Denny had set up. "Where's the honey?"

"Probably in the kitchen, Miko, with all the other food," Jack said, rolling his eyes. "Come on."

The trio hurried into the main building and then into the kitchen. The fridge was open and Jack called out to whoever was rummaging through the contents.

"Sweet Solus Prime!" Fixit exclaimed, wheeling backwards and closing the refrigerator door. He almost dropped the plate of chicken he had in hands, most likely for Grimlock. "You fared – cared – _scared_ me."

"Sorry, Fixit," Raf apologized.

Jack didn't even stop to wonder how the wheelchair bound Cybertronian had made it into the building ahead of them and completely unnoticed by anyone. Fixit had a habit of just appearing in places, and it was often joked that he had the power of teleportation and had just forgotten about it along with other things. "Where's the honey, Fixit?" Jack asked.

"Up in the cabinet above the sink," he said, straightening his glasses. "It's beside the syrup and molasses."

Jack walked over, opened the cabinet and got the desired bottle. "Thank you, Fixit. Have a good night."

"Well, I certainly hope I will, but Grimlock is going to be eating this chicken and most likely make a mess in the _Alchemor_ that I'll have to clean up, because, while he is a very nice man, Grimlock is not known for cleaning up his messes – I don't even think he realizes he's made a mess most of the time and –"

"That's nice, Fixit," Miko said, cutting him off before he could ramble on forever.

Fixit just grinned and then rolled out of the kitchen, Raf stepping aside to give him plenty of room. Jack looked at the honey bottle, the smiling bear face that seemed not to care about the anxiety coursing through the teen.

"So…how should we do this?" he asked.

"Pour out the honey into three separate bowls and then walk around the scrapyard yelling Bumblebee's name," Miko said.

"He's not a dog," Jack protested. Then he asked, "Does anyone have a better idea?"

Raf just shrugged. Miko grinned, sensing triumph. Jack sighed and then grabbed three bowls. Pouring the honey into the bowls, he then threw the empty container into the sink to rinse it out later. He handed one bowl to Raf and another to Miko with a warning to not spill it. He led the way outside. Dusk was well underway and it wouldn't be long until it was dark. Luckily, Fixit had come through and the lights were on, washing the scrapyard in bright, artificial light.

"Let's split up," Jack said. "Yell if you find Bumblebee."

Raf walked off without a word, and Jack hoped that he was using his mind to reach out to the missing toddler with telepathy. Miko grinned again, saluted at Jack, and then skipped off. Jack watched them go and then took the middle area of the scrapyard, as Raf had gone right and Miko had gone left.

Jack wasn't sure how long he wandered through the aisles, waving about his bowl of honey and calling out Bumblebee's name. It was long enough for Jack to start to feel foolish and begin to loss all hope in the productivity of their current plan of action.

"I've got something!" Miko yelled.

Jack dropped his bowl of honey and took off toward the sound of her voice. He found Miko looking down at her bowl, a little honeybee sitting on the rim and reaching down with its front legs into the honey.

"Do you think it's Bumblebee?" she asked.

The bee didn't respond, but held a glob of the honey up to its face and began to nibble on it.

"Raf will know," Jack said.

Raf appeared at that time and asked, "Did you find him?"

"Is this him?" Miko asked, moving the bowl closer to Raf. Setting down his own bowl, Raf look at the honeybee.

"He's not answering me, but Bumblebee hasn't been answering me all night," he said. "It might be him."

Miko yelped as the bowl slipped from her fingers. Jack lunged for it, but only succeeded into getting his hands covered in honey. The bowl thudded onto the ground and Raf cried out as he realized the same thing that Jack had – that the bowl had landed on the bee. Jack picked the bowl up and finally located the bee among the honey and dirt. The bee kicked its legs once and then stilled.

"We killed Bumblebee!" Miko shrieked.

Raf picked up the bee and gave it a little shake, but it didn't move. He looked up at Jack, devastated. "What now?"

Jack felt numb. "It might not be Bumblebee." The words sounded hollow. They hadn't seen another bee in days. "Let's just go back and get cleaned up. Take the bee."

"I call not telling Ratchet and Optimus," Miko muttered. She turned and walked back. Raf followed her, staring down at the dead bee in his hands. Jack followed them.

No words were spoken as they reentered the kitchen. Jack washed his hands and then the rinsed out the honey bottle before tossing it in the trash. Raf had set the bee on a napkin. Miko looked at Jack, her brown eyes full of grief. Raf just stared at the dead bee.

"We should recycle that bottle," she said softly.

"It's in the trash already," Jack replied numbly.

Miko reached into the trash to pull out the honey bottle. Without another word, she walked outside of the main building to deposit the bottle in the recycling bin. Raf watched her go in silence.

"Jack, Raf, come quickly!"

Jack rushed outside to see Miko staring at the kids, who must have finally gotten bored and come to see what the others were up to. Rusty and Sideswipe were both frowning. Strongarm was held securely in her half-brother's arms. And Bumblebee was standing between Rusty and Sideswipe. He grinned when he saw Raf and rushed over to hug him.

"He's not dead!" Raf cried, hugging him back.

"Where has he been?" Miko asked.

"He came into the trailer when you left to get the sodas," Rusty said.

"He covered himself up in a bunch of blankets and went to sleep," Sideswipe added. "I guess you didn't see him when you came in to give us the sodas."

"That's why you weren't answering me – you were sleeping!" Raf said. He ruffled Bumblebee's blonde hair with a grin.

Jack and Miko shared a relieved look. "I still say we shouldn't tell Ratchet and Optimus that we thought we had killed their son," she whispered to him.

"Agreed."

"The others are coming back," Sideswipe said.

Indeed, the scrapyard door slid open and a host of vehicles poured in. The kids rushed over as their parents exited the vehicles. Miko, Raf, and Jack followed them more slowly.

Windblade and Drift walked off without a word, though Drift looked around in confusion as if he couldn't figure out why Slipstream and Jetstorm hadn't immediately run to him. Denny ruffled Rusty's hair before the young boy could duck.

Wheeljack looked around and then asked no one in particular, "Where's Smokescreen?" Bulkhead glanced around as well after hearing his wife's question.

Knock Out grinned and took Strongarm from Sideswipe. "Hello, pretty girl. Of course, you aren't as pretty as me."

Ultra Magnus just handed Sideswipe a box, which Jack figured held the dessert he had been promised. The redhead jerked open the box, grabbed the fork held within, and began chowing down.

Ratchet, whose white dress was stained where the waiter had dropped cheese dip on her, picked up Bumblebee with a laugh and gave him a quick kiss on the temple. Optimus just smiled at the two of them.

Fowler and June walked over to Jack. "I see that no one got arrested," Jack said in a teasing manner.

"I see you didn't kill anyone," June replied.

Raf choked and Miko let out a faint whistle. Jack just smiled. "Nope. We didn't kill anyone."

The scrapyard door opened again and Smokescreen pulled in. As soon as the car slid to a stop, Slipstream and Jetstorm jumped out of the window and took off in the direction that Drift and Windblade had gone. Smokescreen stepped out of his vehicle.

"There's Smokescreen," Bulkhead said, pointing at him. Wheeljack just crossed her arms and gave her husband a look, arching an eyebrow.

Denny produced a large pitcher. "Look, I got this tea from the restaurant we ate at. All we need to do is add honey and we'll have the best drink in the whole universe."

"I'll get it," Optimus said. He disappeared into the main building, thanking Jack, Miko, and Raf for watching over the other children as he passed them.

"Should we tell them?" Miko asked.

"Not a chance," Jack said. "Just smile and wave, boys. Just smile and wave."

"Nice _Madagascar_ quote," Miko grinned.

Raf elbowed Jack. "Here he comes."

Optimus stepped out of the main building with a frown. "Where's the honey?"


End file.
